Lasagna

Classic Lasagna Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 medium sweet white onion, diced.

1/2 large green bell pepper, seeds and veins removed, diced.

1/2 lb dry lasagna noodles (requires 9 lasagna noodles - unbroken)

1/4 cup sugar

1 28 oz can tomato sauce

1/2 28 oz can (16 oz) stewed tomatoes

1/2 6 oz can (3 oz) tomato paste

1 lb Ricotta cheese

1 1/2 lb Mozzarella cheese (large flat square slices)

3/4 lb freshly grated parmesan cheese

Garlic Powder

Oregano

Italian Spice

Salt

Garlic Salt

Parsley diced (fresh flat leaf preferred)

1 Garlic Cloves, minced

White wine vinegar

Cooking Utensils

Large skillet (for browning beef, onions, green pepper)

6 Qt pot (for noodles)

3 Qt pot (simmer sauce)

13" x 9" x 2" lasagna pan (preferably a stainless lasagna pan. Do Not Use Aluminum Pans - the aluminum will react with the acidic tomato sauce, leaching the aluminum and ruining the taste of your lasagna sauce.)

Large colander (drain/blot beef, drain noodles)

Large baking pan (to wash and cool noodles)

Large slotted cooking spoon

Large cooking spoon

Paring knife

METHOD

1 Brown lean ground beef in skillet until lightly browned and cooked through. Put a few layers of paper towels in large bowl. With slotted spoon, remove browned beef from skillet draining off excess beef fat and put on top of blotting towels. After all the browned beef has been removed from the skillet, drain off and dispose of excess beef fat. Wipe skillet clean with paper towel. (If your ground beef is sufficiently lean, there won't be any excess fat to drain.) Add diced green pepper and onion to skillet. Brown for a few minutes on medium high heat, add browned beef back to the skillet, lower the heat to low and continue to cook for 5 more minutes stirring frequently.

2 Transfer browned beef, green pepper and onions to 3 Qt. pot. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste. Open stewed tomatoes and dice, then add to 3 Qt. pot. Add oregano, parsley, Italian Spice Mix to taste, probably 2 teaspoons of each. Add a pinch of garlic powder and a pinch of garlic salt, to taste. Add a dash of white wine vinegar. Add sugar a couple tablespoons at a time, until desired level of sweetness, no more than 1/4 cup of sugar. Note that it is hard to follow a pure recipe when it comes to pasta sauce. One Italian spice mix is not like the other, nor is one can of tomato sauce not like the other. So you really do need to taste the sauce as you are adding the spices, sugar and vinegar. Stir and allow sauce to simmer 15-45 minutes to thicken (do not scorch bottom, stir frequently). Remove from heat.

3 Cook 1 lb lasagna noodles in 6 Qt. Pot per cooking directions (al dente). (Note noodles may be cooked in advance.) Stir often to prevent from sticking and be sure that water remains at a low boil during the entire cooking to prevent noodles from sticking. I usually add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the cooking water to help prevent sticking and I add 1/2 teaspoon of salt so the noodles are more flavorful. Drain in colander and place in cool water filled pan to keep from drying out and sticking together.

4 In dry lasagna pan, ladle one cup of sauce and spread along the bottom of the pan. Apply a layer noodles 3 length wise (edges overlapping). Ladle in sauce sparingly into center trough of 3 noodles. Apply a layer of mozzarella cheese slices on top of lasagna sauce. Place ricotta cheese dollops (about a Tablespoon) every 2 inches in center of noodles on top of mozzarella cheese slices, sprinkle grated parmesan cheese in thin even layer on top of ricotta cheese. Apply second layer of noodles, repeat three time topping with noodles. If you have extra sauce and cheese you can spread that over the top. Tent lasagna pan with aluminum foil (not touching noodles or sauce). Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

Note - Flavor improves for second service and may be reheated in convention or microwave. Leave aluminum tent on for storage (Do not allow aluminum to touch the sauce.)

Serves 8.

The best recipe for making lasagna is very likely to be for an Italian the recipe used by their parents. This is because it is a dish handed down. For anyone else to find out the best recipe for them it is a question of trying out ones they find until they eat one they really like.

1 pound of sweet Italian sausage

1 pound of ground beef

1/2 cup of chopped onions

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1 (28 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes

2 (8 ounce) cans of tomato sauce

2 (6 ounce) cans of tomato paste

1/2 Cup of Water

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon fennel seed

2 teaspoons fresh Basil leaves chopped

4 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

23 ounces of ricotta cheese.

1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1 egg

1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

12 lasagna noodles

-Serves 12 people-

Start with the following in a pot:

1 pound (450 g) of sweet Italian sausage

1 pound (450 g) of ground beef

1/2 cup (120 mL) of chopped onions

2 cloves of garlic chopped

The flavor of the Italian sausage varies from brand to brand. You may need to try a different brand the first couple of times you cook this dish. Find the flavor you like the best.

Brown the ground beef, Italian sausage, onions and garlic in a pot until they start to cook. It takes about 6 to 9 minutes to brown the meat. I like to use a Dutch oven to cook this portion of the recipe. I use a medium low temperature to brown the meat. It is optional to remove the grease from the meat once it is finished browning, your choice.

Add the following to pot:

1 (28 ounce) (784 g) can of crushed tomatoes

2 (8 ounce) (230 g) cans of tomato sauce

2 (6 ounce) (168 g) cans of tomato paste

1/2 (120 mL) cup of water

Gently stir this into the cooking meat.

Add the following to pot:

2 tablespoons (30 mL) white sugar

1 teaspoon (5 mL) fennel seed

2 teaspoons (10 mL) fresh Basil leaves chopped

2 tablespoons (30 mL) fresh Italian parsley chopped

1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt

1 teaspoon (5 mL) Italian Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) ground pepper

Gently stir these seasoning into the sauce.

Cover the pot and let the meat sauce simmer. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour and 30 minutes. This is the ideal simmer time but not mandatory. If you don't have time it will still be great after one hour of simmering.

Soak 12 lasagna noodles.

The lasagna noodles need to be soaked in hot tap water for 15 minutes.

While the noodles are soaking you can make the cheese filling.

Put the following in a mixing bowl:

23 ounces (644 g) of ricotta cheese.

1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) fresh grated nutmeg

Grate fresh nutmeg over the Ricotta cheese.

Add the following:

1 egg

2 tablespoons (30 mL) fresh Italian parsley chopped

Mix these ingredients together with a spoon

Now we start building the lasagna layers.

Use a 9×13 inch baking pan.

Spread 2 Cups (480 mL) of meat sauce on the bottom of the pan.

Remove your lasagna noodles out of the water bath. Shake water off wet noodles.

Lay 6 noodles across the layer of sauce.

Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the layer of noodles.

Spread 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese over the ricotta layer.

Sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over the mozzarella layer

Spread 2 cups (480 mL) of meat sauce over the cheese layer

Lay down the next layer of noodles

Spread the remaining ricotta mixture over noodles

Spread the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses saving some cheese for the top of the lasagna

Put the last layer of meat sauce on the cheeses

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Cover with foil

Bake in preheated oven at 350 F (177 C) for 25 minutes

Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for approximately 15 minutes.