Aunt Sharons Lasagna Food

THE BEST LASAGNA

Steps:

• Place the beef in a large bowl and "pull" it apart with two forks as if you were shredding pulled pork, breaking up the clumps and loosening the meat without compacting it.
• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the meat is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to a large bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pot.
• Spread the beef in an even layer in the same pot and cook undisturbed until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, breaking up any clumps and scraping up any browned bits from the pot, until the meat is browned and completely cooked, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the browned meat with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the pancetta, leaving the fat in the pot.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrots, celery, onions, half the garlic, the bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it's very fragrant and brick red colored, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, bring to a boil and reduce until the liquid is very thick and no smell of alcohol remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the reserved pancetta and beef, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Add the basil and Parmesan rind and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce resembles sloppy joes, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. There shouldn't be any rapid bubbles while cooking. Instead, the ragu should release occasional small bubbles. If the ragu reduces too quickly, add 1/2 cup of water and continue cooking. Repeat if necessary. The ragu needs the full 2 to 2 1/2 hour cook time to develop the flavors.
• Discard the bay leaf, basil and Parmesan rind. Break up any remaining clumps of meat with the back of a spoon, making an even textured sauce. Season with salt and set aside until ready to assemble.
• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the noodles, stirring occasionally and separating them to prevent sticking, until softened and bendable but are still hard and chalky in the center, about 5 minutes. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl of cold water and set aside until ready to assemble.
• Stir together the ricotta, 1 cup of the Parmesan, the remaining grated garlic and 2 teaspoons salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside until ready to assemble.
• Lightly oil a 13-by-9-inch glass or ceramic baking pan. Spread 1 cup of the ragu evenly in the bottom of the pan. Lay a single layer of noodles over the ragu (if you're using long noodles, you will need to cut some noodles to fill the gaps). Spread 1 1/2 cups of the ragu over the noodles. Dollop 3/4 cup of the ricotta mixture over the ragu and spread lightly with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, followed by another layer of noodles. Repeat with the remaining pasta, ragu, ricotta mixture and mozzarella, creating 4 layers of pasta and ending with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. (The lasagna should come just above the top of the pan but it will sink down slightly as it cooks.) Top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
• Lightly oil a piece of foil and cover the pan. Put the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake the lasagna until bubbling gently around the edges, about 1 hour.
• Remove the lasagna from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Remove the foil and then continue to bake the lasagna until the top is browned and crisp around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

AUNTY PASTO'S SEAFOOD LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until done. Rinse and drain noodles. Set aside.
• Melt butter or margarine in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Add cream cheese, cottage cheese, egg, basil, and salt and pepper.
• In a medium bowl, combine soup, milk, and wine. Stir in crab, shrimp, and mushrooms.
• Place 4 noodles in the bottom of a well oiled 9x13 inch pan. Spread 1/2 cheese mixture over the noodles, and spoon 1/2 soup mixture over cheese. Repeat layers.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Top with sharp cheese, and parmesan cheese. Brown lasagna under broiler. Remove from oven, and let stand 15 minutes before serving.

AUNT ANGIE'S LASAGNA RECIPE

Steps:

• For the Meatball Mix: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Roll meatballs into desired size and bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. For the lasagna, instead of rolling into desired size, spread mix out evenly on a sheet pan and bake. Break up the meat for lasagna.
• For the Meat Sauce: In a stock pot (or large cooking vessel) brown the ground beef. Add the celery/carrot/onion mix and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the seasonings. Let simmer for 2 hours.
• For Aunt Angie's Lasagna: Using a 1/2 hotel pan or medium to large baking dish, coat the bottom with a thin layer of meat sauce. Lay out 4 pieces of lasagna so they go up the side of the pan with an additional 3 to 4 inches hanging over the edge. Do the same in the other direction of the pan using pieces of pasta. Add another layer of meat sauce, followed by 1/2 of the meatball mix. Then top the meat with 1 pound of the ricotta cheese, 1 pound of mozzarella, and 1/4 cup of Romano. Add a layer of pasta and repeat to have 2 layers. Fold over the remaining pasta to cover the top. Top with meat sauce and place in preheated oven and bake until proper serving temperature is reached or top is golden brown.

AUNT FAYE'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix all the pks of cheeses together in a large bowl an set aside.
• Boil both pk of lasagna noodles per directions, drain and set in cold water, (this helps them not to stick together), and leave in water until time for use.
• While noodles are boiling, combine ground beef and sausage in a large skillet , add seasonings and onion and cook until everything is brown.
• Drain grease add both jars of spaghetti sauce and sour cream and mix well. Put back on stove on medium low so flavor can soak into the meat.
• In a large deep dish place a layer of noodles, then add meat sauce, put a layer of pepperoni on top of meat sauce, then make a complete layer of cheese on top of that.
• Keep repeating step 6 until you fill the dish. On the very top layer after you add the last layer of cheese sprinkle graciously with bacon bits.
• Bake in the oven for about 30 - 45 minutes or until cheese is golden brown on top.

AUNT ARLENE'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• Brown garlic, chicken, sausage, in hot olive oil.
• Stir in soup mix, water, tomatoe paste, sauce and spices.
• Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
• Cook lasagna noodles, drain and cool in cold water.
• Cover bottom of pan with meat sauce. Arrange noodles lengthwise in pan.
• Add cheese on top of meat sauce at each layer.
• Bake at 350 degrees, for 30 minutes.

AUNT MARY'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a large skillet brown ground beef, season to taste with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• Add pasta sauce.
• In a large bowl soften cream cheese and mix with sour cream, cottage cheese, onion and bell pepper.
• Boil lasagna noodles according to package direction.
• Butter 13 X 9 baking dish.
• Layer noodles, cream cheese mixture, then pasta sauce mixture.
• Layer parmesan cheese then mozzarella cheese.
• Repeat layers ending with parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
• Bake 350 for 30-45 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

AUNT MAY'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer; drain. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 40-50 minutes or until thickened., Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Discard bay leaf from meat sauce. Stir in olives., Spread a fourth of the sauce in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Top with three noodles and a third of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and cheese. , Bake, uncovered, 35-40 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

AUNT JUDI'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• Meat Sauce:.
• Brown and drain meat.
• Add all other meat sauce ingredients to pan with meat and simmer, uncovered until thick - about 45 minutes to an hour.
• Cook noodles. Drain and rinse.
• Cheese mixture:.
• Mix together all cheese mixture ingredients in large bowl.
• Note: If using 9x13 pan, makes 2 layers. If using 8x8 pan, makes 3 layers with left over ingredients. We like a thicker lasagna so I go for the smaller pan and then use left over noodles to make little "lasagna rolls.".
• Spread small amount of sauce in bottom of pan to help with sticking.
• Make first layer of noodles. Spread 1/2 (or 1/3) of cheese mixture over noodles. Top with just shy of 1/2 (or 1/3) of meat sauce spread over cheese. Then just shy of 1/2 (or 1/3) of mozzerella over meat.
• Repeat layers until you run out of cheese mixture or you reach the top of the pan.
• Layer one final layer of noodles, light layer of sauce and remaining mozzerella cheese.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Can be frozen before or after baking.

AUNT SHARON'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• Brown sausage and drain off fat. Add next 5 ingredients. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Cook lasagna noodles until tender. Drain and rinse.
• Combine remaining ingredients, except mozzarella.
• Place half of the noodles in a 13x9 pan. Spread 1/2 ricotta mixture over noodles. Add 1/2 the meat mixture and 1/2 the mozzarella. Repeat with a second layer.
• Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.