When my mom made lasagna, I was always a very happy camper and my kids are no different. My son Ryan says it is one of his top two favorite pasta dishes. High praise indeed from someone who does not give it often! It is my personal favorite comfort food. Over the years, I have tried making it in many different ways, but I still go back to a traditional meat and red sauce. It reminds me so much of home and happy times.
Ingredients
Lasagna Noodles (I have been using Gluten Free fresh pasta sold at Whole Foods, but any will do!)
Meat Sauce
2 tbsps. olive oil
½ onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
8 oz lean ground beef
8 oz ground pork
½ cup red wine
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 28 oz. can San Marzano plum tomatoes and juice
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. chopped Italian parsley
1 cup beef stock
Ricotta Filling
2 pounds high quality ricotta (I like Calabro sold at Whole Foods)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsps. Chopped Italian parsley
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
Cheese Filling
5 cups Marinara sauce (you can make your own, but I like Rao’s brand)
6 tbsps. Grated parmesan cheese
1 ½ cups shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
1. Start by making the meat sauce. Heat a large saucepan on medium heat and add two tbsps. Olive oil. Add chopped onion and minced garlic and cook for 4 minutes until softened. Turn heat down if anything starts to burn. Add the carrots and celery and cook for an additional 4 minutes.
2. Raise the heat to high and add the beef and pork and cook for 10 minutes and stir to break up the ground meats. There should not be any pink left when completed.
3. Add the wine, salt, and a sprinkle of pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the sauce for minutes or until the wine is nearly gone.
4. Add the tomatoes, rosemary, oregano, and parsley and reduce the heat to medium low, stirring. Add the broth, and the remaining tsp. of salt and raise the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium so that everything simmers for about 30 minutes. Set the sauce aside to cool and begin to assemble the lasagna.
5. Make the ricotta filling by mixing together the ricotta, eggs, parsley, salt, and pepper and set aside.
6. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spread a cup of marinara sauce at the bottom of an 8 x 11 pan. Place 3 fresh lasagna noodles over the sauce and top the noodles with 3 cups of the meat sauce. Spread the sauce over the noodles. Sprinkle it with the grated parmesan cheese.
7. Place 3 more fresh lasagna noodles over the meat sauce and spread about 2 cups of the ricotta filling over the noodles making sure everything is covered. Sprinkle about a cup of the shredded mozzarella over the cheese filling and top it with 1 tbsp. of grated parmesan cheese.
8. Place 3 more fresh lasagna noodles over the cheese filling and spread 3 more cups of meat sauce. Then top it with 2 cups of the ricotta filling and 1 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese.
9. Place 3 more fresh lasagna noodles over top of this and cover them with 2 cups of marinara sauce. Sprinkle the top of the sauce with the remainder of the shredded mozzarella and 1 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese.
10. Bake the lasagna covered with foil sprayed with Pam for about 35 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes until it is heated through and bubbling. Let the lasagna rest for about 15-20 minutes before serving to cut it more easily. I like to serve it with a side salad and extra marinara sauce.
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