Debbies 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.

DEBBIE'S VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Melt margarine in a skillet over low heat; cook and stir flour, salt, and pepper into the melted margarine until smooth and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes. Add milk and broth into flour mixture, stirring constantly; bring sauce to a boil. Stir wine into sauce and remove from heat. Stir Parmesan cheese into sauce until smooth.
• Whisk ricotta cheese, egg, and egg white together in a bowl.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; saute carrots, zucchini, and spinach until just becoming tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir vegetable mixture into ricotta mixture.
• Layer 1/3 the lasagna noodles, 1/3 the ricotta-vegetable mixture, and 1/3 the Parmesan sauce in a 9x13-inch baking dish; repeat layering 2 more times with remaining ingredients, ending with a layer of mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is lightly browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes.

MY MOM'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the beef and sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the onions, garlic and dried oregano and cook until they are softened and the meat is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and toast for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/3 cup Parmesan, fresh basil and oregano, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
• Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles over the sauce and top with a third of the ricotta filling. Spoon over a layer of sauce and top with another layer of noodles. Continue with 2 more layers of ricotta, sauce and noodles, ending with a top layer of noodles. Spoon a thin layer of the remaining sauce over the top, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over the noodles and cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and cook until the cheese is golden and the lasagna is bubbling, another 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

EASY LAZY LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta until tender but firm; drain.
• In a large skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat until browned. Add onions and carrots; cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce and Italian seasoning (oregano or basil). Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Set aside.
• To Assemble: Spread half of the meat mixture on bottom of greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Top with all of the pasta. Spread all of the cheese mixture over pasta. Top with remaining meat mixture. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven, uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes or until bubbling.
• Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

TRADITIONAL CANADIAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Brown the beef with the garlic; stir to break into small pieces of meat
• Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Add 4 cups cooked beef to 2 cups homemade tomato sauce; combine well
• Check again for seasoning
• Wring frozen spinach inside a thick tea towel until all liquid is dispelled
• Combine all ingredients
• Spread 1/2 cup Homemade Tomato Sauce onto the bottom of the pan; it will be sparse
• Place 4 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce (these will fit perfectly in the 11 x 13 inch casserole pan)
• Spread 1 cup of meat sauce very sparsely over the noodles; cover with 4 lasagna noodles
• Spread 1 1/4 cups of meat sauce very sparsely over the second layer of noodles; cover this layer of meat sauce with mozzarella cheese slices
• Cover the cheese slices with 4 lasagna noodles (at this point, you will need a couple of half pieces of noodles and ends if your casserole dish fans outwards as the surface area grows with each layer)
• Spread the entire cottage cheese and spinach mixture over the third layer of lasagna noodles; top this with another layer of lasagna noodles
• Cover the last layer of lasagna noodles with 1 1/2 cup of meat sauce, sparsely distributed over the noodles (if you have enough room, make one more layer of noodles and a final layer of meat sauce)
• The meat sauce will be the top of the lasagna; cover that with generous slices of mozzarella cheese
• Wrap tightly in plastic wrap; date and label; freeze for future use
• Bake frozen in 350 degree oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until bubbly and cheese on top just starts to brown (cover with tented foil while still baking, to avoid over browning, if necessary)
• Preheat oven to 350F
• Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until bubbly and cheese on top just starts to brown (cover with tented foil while still baking, to avoid over browning, if necessary)
• If you have a lot left over, portion into individual pieces, wrap well, label, date and freeze and these make great individual lunches

DEBBIE'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook ground beef until browned. Drain. Season with salt and pepper. Add pasta sauce. (I usually do this while the pasta is cooking.) Put a layer of pasta in a 9x9 pan. Top with ½ of the cottage cheese, ½ of the mozzarella cheese, and ½ the meat sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers. Cook at 375° for 30 minutes.

DEBBIE'S CROCK POT LASAGNA

Steps:

• Brown ground beef, onion, bell pepper, carrot and garlic in frypan.
• Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, parsley and red pepper flakes.
• Cook for 3 or 4 minutes.
• Spoon a layer of meat sauce onto the bottom of the slow cooker.
• Add a double layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (break to fit) and top with cheeses.
• Repeat with sauce, noodles and cheeses until all are used up.
• Add wine and water around the lasagna.
• Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

DEB'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• Brown ground beef and sausage.
• Drain well.
• Return to skillet, add spaghetti sauce& wine and heat thoroughly.
• Remove from heat and add container of Ricotta cheese, mix well.
• Layer a 9X13 casserole dish with noodles, then meat mixture, then cheeses.
• Repeat layers.
• Bake in 350 oven until bubbly.

DEBBIE'S VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Melt margarine in a skillet over low heat; cook and stir flour, salt, and pepper into the melted margarine until smooth and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes. Add milk and broth into flour mixture, stirring constantly; bring sauce to a boil. Stir wine into sauce and remove from heat. Stir Parmesan cheese into sauce until smooth.
• Whisk ricotta cheese, egg, and egg white together in a bowl.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; saute carrots, zucchini, and spinach until just becoming tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir vegetable mixture into ricotta mixture.
• Layer 1/3 the lasagna noodles, 1/3 the ricotta-vegetable mixture, and 1/3 the Parmesan sauce in a 9x13-inch baking dish; repeat layering 2 more times with remaining ingredients, ending with a layer of mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is lightly browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes.