Four-Cheese Lasagna

1. Place Gruyère and 1⁄2 cup Parmesan in large heatproof bowl. Combine ricotta, egg, black pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley in medium bowl. Set both bowls aside.
2. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring often, until shallot is softened, about 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly combined, about 1-1⁄2 minutes; mixture should not brown. Gradually whisk in milk and broth; increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, whisking often. Stir in salt, bay leaf, and cayenne, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until sauce thickens and measures 4 cups, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and making sure to scrape bottom and corners of pan.
3. Discard bay leaf. Gradually whisk 1⁄4 cup sauce into ricotta mixture. Pour remaining sauce over Gruyère mixture and stir until smooth.
4. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pour 2 inches boiling water into 13 by 9-inch broiler-safe baking dish. Slip noodles into water, 1 at a time, and soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water. Dry dish and spray lightly with vegetable oil spray.
5. Spread 1⁄2 cup sauce evenly over bottom of dish. Arrange 3 noodles in single layer on top of sauce. Spread 1⁄2 cup ricotta mixture evenly over noodles and sprinkle with 1⁄2 cup fontina and 3 tablespoons Gorgonzola. Spoon 1⁄2 cup sauce over top. Repeat layering of noodles, ricotta mixture, fontina, Gorgonzola, and sauce 3 more times. For final layer, arrange remaining 3 noodles on top and cover completely with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1⁄2 cup Parmesan.
6. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with oil spray and bake until edges are just bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Remove foil and turn oven to broil. Broil lasagna until surface is spotty brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool lasagna for 15 minutes, then sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons parsley and serve.

Note that some pasta brands contain only 12 no-boil noodles per package; this recipe requires 15 noodles. Whole milk is best in the sauce, but skim and low-fat milk also work. Supermarket-brand cheeses work fine in this recipe. The Gorgonzola may be omitted, but the flavor of the lasagna won’t be as complex. It’s important to not overbake the lasagna. Once the sauce starts bubbling around the edges, uncover the lasagna and turn the oven to broil. If your lasagna dish is not broiler-safe, brown the lasagna at 500 degrees for about 10 minutes. This lasagna is very rich; serve small portions with a green salad.

FOUR-CHEESE LASAGNA WITH ARTICHOKES AND PROSCIUTTO
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toss 18 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry, with 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon, then spread over prepared sheet. Roast artichokes until browned at edges, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through roasting. Let artichokes cool slightly, then chop coarse. Sprinkle each of first 4 lasagna layers with 1⁄3 cup roasted artichokes and 2 tablespoons thinly sliced prosciutto along with fontina and Gorgonzola.