My Lasagna Recipe

I have tried many different Lasagna recipes over the years.   This is the culmination of all that trial and error, a wonderful recipe that needs to be shared with the world.  The ingredients and actual recipe are at the end of this article.  I know you won’t be disappointed with my Best Lasagna Recipe! 

Start with the following in a pot.

1 pound of sweet Italian sausage
1 pound of ground beef
1/2 cup 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 look.  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:

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

Gently stir this into the cooking meat. 

Add the following:

2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon fennel seed
2 teaspoons fresh Basil leaves chopped
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon 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. 

I will sometimes make this sauce and refrigerate it after it finishes simmering.  I will use the meat sauce the next day to put the rest of this recipe together.  For some reason Italian meat sauce taste even better the next day.  But that’s up to you.

Soak 14 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 of ricotta cheese.
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg 

Grate fresh nutmeg over the Ricotta cheese.   

Add the following

1 egg
2 tablespoons 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 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 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.

It should look similar to the picture above.

Cover with foil
Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 25 minutes
Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 25 minutes.

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

Ingredients

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
–Serves 12 people–

Tags: beef, best lasagna recipe, cheese, food tv, italian, italian recipe, lasagna recipe, More Lasagna Recipes, recipe, sausage

Pasticcio
Lasagna
The Italian name for this would actually be “Lasagne al Forno,” but in my region of Italy almost everyone calls it Pasticcio. Most people have tomato sauce in mind when they think of lasagna, however this recipe is based on Ragù alla bolognese and Béchamel sauce.

When I was little my mom used to let me and my sister help her make this dish and we have never stopped making pasticcio together. If you have kids that like to take part in the kitchen this is a good recipe to prepare with them.

Ingredients:

1 lbs. dry egg pasta sheets for lasagna*
Ragù alla bolognese
freshly ground Parmesan cheese
unsalted butter

For the Béchamel sauce:
4 2/3 cups milk
2/3 cup unsalted butter
1 cup flour
pinch of nutmeg
salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Ragù as described in my “Pasta with Ragù alla bolognese ” recipe.
2. When the Ragù is done or very close to done you can begin by preparing the Béchamel sauce.
3. Warm the milk.
4. Melt the butter in a pan then add and blend the flour for about 2- 3 minutes. Use a low heat.
5. Once the butter and flour are blended add the milk a little at a time. Mix continuously with a wooden spoon. Be certain to avoid lumping!
6. When you’ve mixed in all the milk grate a bit of nutmeg on top, just a dusting. Add a pinch of salt too.
7. Continue cooking the Béchamel, stirring constantly, until it thickens and becomes smooth.
8. Now it’s time to put it together. Start by preparing your favorite lasagna pan by greasing it with butter.
9. The pasta often suggests that it doesn’t need to be precooked however I’ve found much better results by boiling it a couple of minutes first. Just slide the pasta into boiling water a few pieces at a time and remove them just as they soften up and start to get, ’sticky.’ Lay them flat on a kitchen towels and they are ready.
10. First put a layer of pasta in the pan then add a layer of Béchamel, a layer of ragù and small fist of freshly ground Parmesan. Continue like this for a maximum of 5 layers.
11. Cover the last layer of pasta only with the Béchamel sauce, dots with butter to help keep it moist when baking, and a good sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
12. Put in a preheated oven at 400° and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

Notes:

If you want you can prepare pasticcio the day before just cover it and put it in the fridge. The next day all you have to do is bake it!

*The pasta should be thin and perfectly flat, about 3-1/2 x 7 inches. Don’t use the durum wheat lasagna noodles, the long thick ones with the ruffled edge.

Recipe from http://www.cookingwithpatty.com/recipes/pasta/Pasticcio.php

Tags: best lasagna recipe, italian cooking, lasagna recipe, lasanga, white sauce lasagna

Prep Time:20 min
Start to Finish:1 hr 35 min
Makes:8 servings

2 cups ricotta cheese or small curd creamed cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 jars (28 ounces each) tomato pasta sauce (any variety)
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Additional shredded mozzarella cheese, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Mix ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, the parsley and oregano.
2. Spread 2 cups of the pasta sauce in ungreased rectangular pan, 13×9x2 inches; top with 4 uncooked noodles. Spread ricotta cheese mixture over noodles. Spread with 2 cups pasta sauce and top with 4 noodles; repeat with 2 cups pasta sauce and 4 noodles. Sprinkle with 2 cups mozzarella cheese. Spread with remaining pasta sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
3. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake about 30 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with additional mozzarella cheese. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Nutrition Information:

1 Serving: Calories 515 (Calories from Fat 180 ); Total Fat 20 g (Saturated Fat 9 g); Cholesterol 40 mg; Sodium 1340 mg; Protein 24 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 26 %; Vitamin C 26 %; Calcium 52 %; Iron 20 % Exchanges: 4 Starch; 1 Vegetable; 1 High-Fat Meat; 2 Fat
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Serve With
Complete this meal with your favorite tossed salad and crusty Italian bread.
Time Saver
To prepare ahead of time, cover unbaked lasagna tightly with foil and refrigerate no longer than 24 hours. About 1 1/2 hours before serving, heat oven to 350ºF. Bake covered 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with additional mozzarella cheese. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Tags: best lasagna recipe, italian cooking, lasagna recipe, lasanga, white sauce lasagna

Ricki Carroll’s 30-minute Mozzarella
Mother Earth News
Yield: 3/4 to 1 pound cheese

1 1/2 tsp citric acid dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water
1 gallon pasteurized whole milk
1/4 tsp liquid rennet (or 1/4 rennet tablet) diluted in 1/4 cup cool, unchlorinated water
1 tsp cheese salt (coarse, noniodized flake salt similar to pickling salt; do not use iodized salt)

Slowly heat the milk in a stainless steel pot to 55 degrees. While stirring, add the citric acid solution to the milk and mix thoroughly.

Heat the milk to 88 degrees over medium-low heat. The milk will begin to curdle.

Gently stir in the diluted rennet with an up-and-down motion for 30 seconds. Then let the milk sit still while heating it to between 100 and 105 degrees. In about 5 to 8 minutes, the curds should be pulling away from the sides of the pot. Turn off the heat.

The curds will look like thick yogurt and have a bit of shine to them, and the whey will be clear. If the whey is still milky white, wait a few more minutes before turning off the heat. Scoop out the curds with a slotted spoon and put into a 2-quart microwavable bowl. Press the curds gently with your hands, pouring off as much whey as possible.

Microwave the curds on high for 1 minute. (See also: How to Make Quick Mozzarella Without a Microwave.)

Drain off all excess whey. Gently fold the cheese over and over (as in kneading bread) with your hand or a spoon. This distributes the heat evenly throughout the cheese, which will not stretch until it is too hot to touch (145 degrees inside the curd). You may want to don rubber gloves at this point, as the cheese will be extremely hot to the touch.

Microwave two more times for 35 seconds each; add salt to taste after the second time. After each heating, knead again to distribute the heat.

Knead quickly until it is smooth and elastic. When the cheese stretches like taffy, it’s done. If the curds break instead of stretch, they are too cool and need to be reheated.

When the cheese is smooth and shiny, roll it into small balls and eat while warm. Or place them in a bowl of ice water for half an hour to bring the inside temperature down rapidly; this will produce a consistent smooth texture throughout the cheese. Although best eaten fresh, it can be stored in the refrigerator at this point.

Note: If you are using store-bought milk, and your curds turn into the consistency of ricotta cheese and will not come together, switch brands of milk. It may have been heated at the factory at too high a temperature

Click here for the article

Shrimp and Scallop Lasagna

Ingredients:
12 lasagna noodles
3 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cup half-and-half
1 cup Romano cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 lb sea scallops, cut in half or quartered if very large
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13×10 inch aluminum foil pan with vegetable oil cooking spray.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the lasagna noodles until they are just done, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet and cook the onion over low heat until very soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute more. Over medium-low heat, stir in the flour with a whisk, then gradually add the half-and-half, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly before adding more. When the sauce has thickened to about the consistency of whipping cream, add the Romano cheese and stir well. Add the salt and pepper and stir again. Add the scallops and cook for about 3-4 minutes, then add shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes or just until the shrimp turn pink. Turn off the heat.

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of sauce from the skillet into the prepared pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with 4 noodles, placing them side by side. Spoon one-third of the sauce over the noodles, distributing half of the seafood evenly. Layer 4 more noodles, one-third of the sauce with half the seafood, the remaining 4 noodles, and the remaining sauce. For the top layer, do not spoon any seafood on top of the noodles; just use the sauce. Tuck in any edges of the noodles so they’re all coated with sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, uncovered, until bubbly. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

Yield: 8 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Inactive prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45-50 minutes
Ease of preparation: moderate

PD & Friends, 172-173

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Ingredients
2 cups purchased pasta sauce
1/3 cup water
1 9-ounce package refrigerated or frozen cheese- or meat-filled ravioli
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 15-ounce carton ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
Grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. In a 10-inch skillet combine pasta sauce and the water. Bring to boiling; stir in ravioli. Reduce heat. Cook, covered, over medium heat about 5 minutes or until ravioli are nearly tender, stirring once to prevent sticking.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together egg, ricotta cheese, and the 1/4 cup Romano cheese. Top ravioli with spinach. Spoon ricotta mixture on top of spinach. Cook, covered, over low heat about 10 minutes or until ricotta layer is set and ravioli are tender. Sprinkle each serving with additional Romano cheese. Makes 4 main-dish servings.

Better Homes and Garden Recipe

Bechamel Sauce:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons for the lasagna
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk at room temperature
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, recipe follows
Salt and white pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground chuck beef
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
1 pound lasagna sheets, cooked al dente
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bechamel sauce:

In a 2-quart pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and tomato sauce. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
In a saute pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking any large lumps, until it is no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain any excess fat. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Into the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets and spread all the ground beef on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the mozzarella cheese on top of the beef. Spread another 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top lasagna.

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place lasagna dish on top, cover and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until top is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes.

Simple Tomato Sauce:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional
In a large casserole pot or Dutch over, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Yield: 6 cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Ease of Preparation: Easy

Tags: italian cooking, lasagna recipe, More Lasagna Recipes

2 pound dried lasagna noodles
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground beef
2 pound ground Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped oregano leaves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups red wine
2 (28-ounce) cans tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 quarts ricotta cheese, (2 containers)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
Grated Parmesan and mozzarella, for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook the lasagna noodles in plenty of boiling salted water until pliable and barely tender, about 10 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Drain the noodles thoroughly and coat with olive oil to keep them moist and easy to work with.

Coat a large skillet with olive oil, add beef and sausage and brown until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. In a food processor, combine the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, basil, parsley, an oregano. Process until pureed, add to the pan with the ground meat and stir to combine. Stir in the flour. Add the wine and cook until it has reduced by half. Stir in the tomatoes and add the heavy cream and the cinnamon.

In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta and the parmesan. Stir in the eggs and season with salt and pepper.

To assemble the lasagna: Coat the bottom of a deep 13 by 9-inch pan with olive oil. Arrange 4 noodles lengthwise in a slightly overlapping layer on the sauce. Then, line each end of the pan with a lasagna noodle. This forms a collar that holds in the corners. Dollop 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the pasta, spread to the edges with a spatula. Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture over the ricotta. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella on top of the ricotta. Top with a ladle full of sauce, spread evenly. Repeat with the next layer of noodles, ricotta, sauce, and cheeses. Top last layer with noodles, sauce, shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Tap the pan to force out air bubbles. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven. Let lasagna rest for 30 minutes so the noodles will settle and cut easily. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

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Piggly Wiggly Lasagna

Prep: 25 min, Cook: 1:40.
3/4 lb. ground beef
3/4 lb. lean ground pork
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-1/3 cups canned tomatoes, with added purée
6 ounces tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tsp. Italian herb seasoning
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 lb. part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
12 no boil lasagne noodles
1 lb. fat-free mozzarella cheese, sliced
Cook first 4 ingredients in a large heavy pot over medium high heat about 7 minutes, stirring frequently to break up meat, until browned. Discard excess fat. Stir in tomatoes with purée and next 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring to break up tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, about 45 minutes, until sauce is slightly thickened.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine ricotta cheese, next 3 ingredients and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Cover bottom of a lightly oiled 9×13 inch baking dish with a thin layer of meat sauce. Arrange 4 lasagne noodles in dish. Spoon half of ricotta filling over noodles. Cover with half of mozzarella slices. Spread a third of meat sauce over cheese. Arrange another layer of 4 lasagne noodles in dish. Cover with remaining ricotta filling, remaining mozzarella, then half of remaining sauce. Add a final layer of noodles and top with remaining meat sauce. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes, until bubbling throughout. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe serves 12 people. Due to the nature of this recipe, it adjusts the number of servings in multiples of 12 only.

Per serving: calories 322, fat 11.5g, 34% calories from fat, cholesterol 85mg, protein 31.7g, carbohydrates 19.5g, fiber 2.6g, sugar 5.9g, sodium 714mg, diet points 7.4.

Dietary Exchanges: Milk: 0.0, Vegetable: 1.0, Fruit: 0.0, Bread: 0.4, Lean meat: 2.4, Fat: 1.2, Sugar: 0.1, Very lean meat protein: 1.3Per serving:

Ingredients:

1 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey breast
2 cloves garlic, crushed
8-oz. can tomato sauce
28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
12 oz. shredded low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese
12 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese
3/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
6 no-boil lasagna noodles (about 3.5×7″)
Directions:

Spray 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray; preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit (190° Celsius).
Brown turkey with olive oil and garlic.
Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, salt/pepper, and seasoning.
Simmer 20 minutes.
To assemble lasagna:
- add small amount of sauce to bottom of pan
- layer 2 no-boil noodles
- add some ricotta and mozzarella
- add tomato/meat sauce
- sprinkle with parmesan
- repeat with two more layers of noodles, ending with tomato/meat sauce and parmesan as top layer
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before cutting.
Makes: 9 servings

Tags: Turkey Lasagna