Creamy Tomato Lasagna With Mascarpone Cheese Food

CREAMY TOMATO AND MASCARPONE PASTA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat, add diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes until translucent.
• Add minced garlic and dried herbs (Italian seasoning and dried chilli, if using) and sauté for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and halved (or whole) tomatoes and sauté for 2-3 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently.
• Add chicken stock, cover skillet and simmer for 10 minutes until tomatoes have softened. In the meantime, boil pasta in a pot of salted water until al-dente (approx. 8-9 minutes). Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining pasta.
• Add ⅓ cup of pasta water to skillet containing pasta sauce and simmer for another 10-12 minutes, uncovered. If the sauce starts to dry up, add more pasta water.
• Once the sauce has thickened and tomatoes are soft, stir in mascarpone and remove from heat. Toss in boiled pasta and mix to combine with sauce.
• Serve in pasta bowls and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and salt and pepper to taste.

CREAMY LASAGNA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the tomato sauce, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. , In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream, 1 cup cheddar cheese and onions; mix well., Spread about 1/2 cup meat sauce into each of two greased 8-in. square baking dishes. Place two to three noodles in each dish, trimming to fit as necessary. Top each with about 1/2 cup cream cheese mixture and 2/3 cup meat sauce. Repeat layers twice. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheddar cheese over each., Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 1 month. Bake remaining casserole, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. , To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator for 18 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until heated through.

CREAMY BEEF LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, onion, sugar, salt, Worcestershire sauce and garlic salt. In a bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream and milk until smooth. , In a greased 13x9-in. baking dish, layer a fourth of the meat sauce, six noodles and a third of cream cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining meat sauce. , Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle with parsley.

CREAMY TOMATO LASAGNA WITH MASCARPONE CHEESE

Steps:

• In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add carrots, celery and onion. Cook about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes or until they have given up most of their juices.
• Crumble sausage and beef into saucepan. Cook 10 minutes, breaking up and stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
• Increase heat to medium-high and stir in wine. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until wine nearly evaporates. Add 1 cup milk and cook about 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until no liquid remains. Reduce heat to low. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, basil, black pepper and pepper flakes. Heat to simmer, then simmer 15 minutes.
• Stir in mascarpone and remove sauce from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. (Mixture should be saucy in order to hydrate the noodles during baking.)
• In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly and making sure mixture does not brown. Remove from heat.
• Gradually beat in milk with wire whisk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly (especially the corners), and boil 3 minutes or until thickened. (Not cooking the whole time will leave your sauce tasting floury.) Remove from heat and stir in salt, white pepper and nutmeg. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. (Do not add too much salt because you will be adding salty cheese.)
• Adjust oven rack to middle position. Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• In medium bowl, mix mozzarella and Parmesan; set aside.
• Spread about 1 1/4 cups of the meat sauce evenly over bottom of baking dish (it may not completely cover the bottom); top with 3 noodles. Top noodles with 1/2 cup of the white sauce, spreading it as best as you can. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese mixture. Top cheese with 1 1/4 cups of the meat sauce. Place 3 noodles on top of meat sauce. Repeat the following layers twice: 1/2 cup white sauce, 1 cup cheese mixture, 1 1/4 cups meat sauce, 3 noodles. Spread remaining white sauce over noodles and sprinkle with remaining 2 cups cheese. You will be at the top of baking dish.
• Tear off piece of foil large enough to amply cover top of baking dish. Spray one side of foil with cooking spray. Cover lasagna with foil, sprayed side down. (Lasagna can be refrigerated up to 12 hours at this point.)
• Bake 30 minutes (if lasagna was refrigerated, bake 40 minutes). Carefully remove foil and bake 20 minutes longer or until top is lightly brown in spots and edges are hot and bubbly.

CHEESE AND TOMATO LASAGNA

Steps:

• FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients in bowl until well combined; set aside.
• FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE: Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, sugar, pepper flakes, oregano and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and anchovies and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, cheese and tomato paste; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
• FOR THE LASAGNA: While sauce simmers, lay noodles in 9 by 13-inch baking dish and cover with boiling water. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 15 minutes, separating noodles with tip of paring knife to prevent sticking. Place dish in sink, pour off water and run cold water over noodles. Pat noodles dry with clean dish towel; dry dish. Cut two noodles in half crosswise (short side).
• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce in bottom of dish. Lay 3 noodles lengthwise in dish with ends touching 1 short side of the pan, leaving space on opposite short side. Lay 1 half noodle crosswise in empty space to create even layer of noodles. Spread half of cheese sauce over noodles, followed by 1/2 cup fontina. Repeat layering of noodles, alternating which short side gets half noodle (alternating sides will prevent lasagna from buckling). Spread 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce over second layer of noodles, followed by 1/2 cup fontina. Create third layer using 3 1/2 noodles (reversing arrangement again), remaining cheese sauce, and 1/2 cup fontina.
• Lay remaining 3 1/2 noodles over cheese sauce. Spread remaining tomato sauce over noodles. Toss remaining 1/2 cup fontina with 1/8 teaspoon cornstarch, then sprinkle over tomato sauce, followed by Pecorino.
• Spray sheet of aluminum foil with vegetable oil spray and cover lasagna. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove lasagna from oven and increase oven temperature to 500 degrees.
• Remove foil from lasagna, return to oven, and continue to bake until top is lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Let lasagna cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with basil, cut into pieces, and serve.

CREAMY LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Brown meat with onions in large skillet; drain. Stir in pasta sauce and water; set aside. Mix cream cheese spread and milk in medium bowl until blended. Add ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella and Italian seasoning; mix well.
• Spread 1/2 cup meat sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with layers of 6 noodle pieces, half the cream cheese mixture and 1 cup of the remaining meat sauce. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles and meat sauce; cover.
• Bake 45 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, 5 min. or until mozzarella is melted. Let stand 10 min. before serving.

TOMATO & CHEESE LASAGNA

Steps:

• To make the sauce: Take the onion and garlic, and sauté in olive oil in a large pot for a few minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, herbs, crushed red pepper, and prosciutto or ham bone.
• Simmer gently for about an hour and a half.
• Remove the bone, puree the sauce (carefully, since this will be hot), and taste for seasoning.
• The cheeses: Keep parmesan and mozzarella in separate piles.
• Add the chopped basil and parsley to the ricotta, and season with freshly ground black pepper.
• Layer the lasagne: In a dish that is 10x6x2, begin with a light layer of sauce on the bottom.
• Cover with a sheet of pasta, and spread it with sauce.
• Sprinkle with parmesan and mozzarella.
• Cover with another sheet of pasta and sauce.
• Put half of the ricotta and herb mixture on this layer.
• Repeat with a layer of pasta, sauce, and mozzarella and parmesan, then another layer of pasta, topped with remaining ricotta.
• Make one more layer of pasta and mozzarella and parmesan, ending with a top layer of pasta and sauce and parmesan.
• Cover the lasagna with foil and bake 20 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven.
• Remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes or so, until the top is crusty and golden.
• Let sit for 5 or so minutes after removing from the oven.
• Cut into portions, grate with fresh parmesan and serve.
• Note: You can use store-bought sauce as a time-saver, but if you have the time its worth the wait.
• This may also be made earlier in the day: assemble and keep in the fridge until ready to cook.