Asparagus-Pesto Lasagna

This one is really a crowd pleaser. It got rave reviews at Chloe's party.

1/3 c all purpose flour
3 1/2 c low fat milk divided
6 Tbs pesto, or more to taste ( I usually use the Classico brand and add the whole jar)
2 Tbs grated Parmesan plus additional for garnish
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/4 lb asparagus spears, tips cut off and reserved, spears trimmed and chopped into 1/4" pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
16 no cook lasagna noodles
2 c shredded Fontina or part skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350
Whisk flour and 1/2 c milk in a saucepan until smooth. Gradually whisk in remaining milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, and boil 1 min, or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in pesto, parmesan, salt and pepper. Reserve 1 c of sauce.

Warm oil in large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add chopped asparagus (not tips) and cook, stirring often, 5 min or until tender. Add garlic; cook stirring 1 min and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. I usually grill the asparagus to cook it and just add it to the pan after there are sear marks.

Coat a 13 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray. Place a layer of noodles in dish, overlapping slightly. Layer with half of cooked asparagus, 3/4 c Fontina and half of the sauce. Add another layer of pasta, etc. Top the lasagna with a layer of noodles then with reserved 1 c of sauce. Arrange reserved asparagus tips over top and sprinkle with remaining Fontina.

Bake uncovered, 35 to 40 min or until golden brown. Let stand 10 min and serve with additional grated parmesan if desired.