Deluxe Lasagna Food

THE ULTIMATE LASAGNA

Steps:

• 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.

DEADLY DELICIOUS LASAGNA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and lay noodles on a paper towel.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage, spicing to taste, until no longer pink, and reserve.
• In a large bowl, mix the ricotta and 2 jars of spaghetti sauce. In a medium bowl, mix the Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.
• Stir all but one cup of the cheese mixture into the ricotta mixture; stir in the sausage and chopped spinach.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Coat the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce. Lay 3 to 4 noodles lengthwise and side by side; then lay 3 to 4 noodles overlapping and in a staggered pattern on top.
• Add a generous layer of the sausage/cheese; repeat layers twice, until they have reach 1/2 inch from the top of the baking dish. Layer noodles on top of the lasagna and coat in the last jar of spaghetti sauce. Cover with last cup of cheese mixture and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Slice and serve, and then see a dietician... It's deadly.

DELUXE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a skillet over medium heat, warm olive oil. When warmed, add garlic and onion, stirring until onion is slightly translucent. Add sausage and ground beef, brown. While browning, chop meat down to as small as you can get it. Drain oil. Add seasonings. (You can really put them to taste, and add whatever favorite Italian seasonings you like) Add tomatoes, tomato paste and vegetables. Simmer, stirring occasionally. If sauce is too thick, add a small can of tomato sauce, or water. If too thin, add a bit more tomato paste.
• Meanwhile, in a separate bowl combine cottage cheese, ricotta cheese and 1 bag of mozzarella. Add parmesan to taste. Add eggs and parsley and mix well.
• Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan (glass works best). Add to the bottom of the pan just a couple spoonfuls of the meat mixture, spread evenly. You just want enough sauce to fully wet the bottom of the pan. Layer over that 3 lasagna noodles. Layer over that about 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Add lasagna noodles. Layer over those about 1/3 of the meat mixture. Continue layering, ending with meat mixture on top. Sprinkle remaining bag of mozzarella cheese over meat mixture. Use as much, or as little cheese as you like. Sprinkle with more parmesan and parsley flakes. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove foil and place back in oven just until cheese is golden.

LASAGNE

Steps:

• First, make the béchamel sauce. Put the milk, onion, bay leaves and cloves into a large saucepan and bring very gently just up to the boil. Turn off the heat and set aside for 1 hr to infuse.
• For the meat sauce, put the oil, celery, onion, carrot, garlic and pancetta in another large saucepan. Gently cook together until the veg is soft but not coloured.
• Tip in the beef and pork mince, the milk and chopped tomatoes. Using a wooden spoon, stir together and break up and mash the lumps of mince against the sides of the pan. When the mince is mostly broken down, stir in all the herbs, the stock cubes and the red wine, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hr, stirring occasionally to stop the bottom catching.
• Uncover and gently simmer for another 30 mins-1 hr until the meat is tender and saucy. Taste and season.
• To finish the béchamel sauce, strain the milk through a fine sieve into one or two jugs. Melt the butter in the same pan then, using a wooden spoon, mix in the flour and cook for 2 mins.
• Stir in the strained milk, a little at a time - the mix will thicken at first to a doughy paste, but keep going, adding milk gradually to avoid lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly (if you have lumps, give it a quick whisk). Gently bubble for a few minutes until thickened. Season with salt, pepper and a good grating of nutmeg.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Spread a spoonful of the meat sauce over the base of a roughly 3.5-litre baking dish. Cover with a single layer of dried pasta sheets, snapping them to fit if needed, then top with a quarter of the béchamel. Spoon over a third of the meat sauce and scatter over a little of the parmesan.
• Repeat the layers - pasta, béchamel, meat and parmesan - two more times to use all the meat sauce. Add a final layer of pasta, the last of the béchamel and remaining parmesan. Sit the dish on a baking tray to catch spills and bake for 1 hr until bubbling, browned and crisp on top.