Handmade Lasagna Pasta Recipe 425 Food

CLASSIC HOMEMADE LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add the meat in batches and brown well. Remove from the pot and set aside.
• In the same pot, add the onion, carrot, celery and fresh herbs. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occassionally, until they are golden brown and starting to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
• Add the meat back into the pot with the stock, tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper.
• Partially cover with a lid and reduce the heat. Allow to simmer for 45-60 minutes, stirring occassionally, until the sauce is rich and slightly reduced.
• While the bolognese cooks, make the bechamel sauce according to recipe instructions.
• To assemble the lasagna add a few spoons of bolognese sauce into the bottom of a deep casserole dish then add a layer of lasagna sheets. Add a few more spoons of bolognese then layer with the remaining lasagna sheets, bechamel sauce and grated cheese. Finishing with a layer of bechamel and cheese.
• Cover the lasagna loosely with foil and place in a preheated oven (180°C/350°F).
• Bake for 30-45 minutes until a knife can easily be inserted. Remove the foil and allow to bake for another 10 minutes to brown the top.
• Remove the lasagna from the oven and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes. Slice and serve.

PASTA LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 1/2 quart baking dish.
• 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.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef until brown; drain. Stir in pasta sauce; remove from heat.
• In a bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan and beaten egg. Stir until well combined.
• In the prepared dish layer half the pasta, half the sauce and half the cheese mixture. Repeat. Top with remaining mozzarella.
• Bake in preheated oven 34 to 40 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

HOMEMADE LASAGNA SHEETS

Steps:

• Place flour on a marble or wooden work surface. Make a well in the center and crack in eggs; add salt. Gently beat eggs using a fork, incorporating the surrounding flour, until mixture is runny. Bring remaining flour into the mixture using a bench scraper until dough forms a ball. Mix in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if dough feels too stiff.
• Knead dough with your hands by flattening the ball, stretching it, and folding the top towards the center. Turn 45 degrees and repeat until dough is soft and smooth, about 10 minutes.
• Shape dough into a ball. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Take one piece and flatten it a bit with your hands. Dust a work surface with flour and roll dough out using a rolling pin 5 to 6 times. Turn the dough 45 degrees and roll out again, 5 to 6 times. Keep rolling and turning in the same way until the dough is evenly very thin. When you hold up the dough, you should be able to see your fingers through it.
• Cut the pasta into rectangular sheets to fit your baking dish using a pastry wheel or a knife. Transfer lasagna sheets to a floured kitchen towel and let air-dry about 30 minutes before assembling.

HANDMADE LASAGNA SHEETS

Steps:

• Mound the flour in the center of a large mixing bowl. Dig a well in the center of the mound and add the whole eggs and 5 yolks. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well. The dough will start to come together in a shaggy mass when about half the flour is incorporated.
• Use your fingers to continue to mix the dough. Press any loose bits of flour into the dough. If needed, add another egg yolk or a tablespoon of water to absorb all of the flour.
• Once the dough comes together into a cohesive mass, remove it from the bowl and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough by hand until smooth, elastic and uniform in color, 4 to 5 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic and set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours).
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with flour. Set aside.
• Cut off a quarter of the dough. Rewrap the larger portion and set aside. Use the heel of your hand to flatten the small piece of dough into an oval approximately the same width as your pasta machine, about 6 inches wide. Set the rollers to their widest setting and pass the dough through.
• Lay the dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board or countertop and neatly press together into halves, so it's again about the same width of the pasta machine. Feed the pasta through again at the widest setting. Think of these first rollings as an extended kneading. Continue to fold the dough in thirds and roll it until it is smooth, silky and even-textured. Do your best to make the sheet the full width of the machine.
• Once the dough is silky and smooth, you can begin to roll it out more thinly. Roll it once through each of the next two or three settings, adding flour as needed, until the dough is about 1/4-inch thick.
• Once the pasta is about 1/4-inch thick, begin rolling it twice through the next thinner settings. As you roll, lightly sprinkle flour on both sides of the pasta to prevent it from sticking to itself.
• Roll out pasta until you can just see the outline of your hand when you hold it under a sheet, about 1/16-inch thick. (On most machines, you won't make it to the thinnest setting.)
• Cut pasta into sheets, about 13 inches long. Dust the sheets lightly with flour, stack on the prepared baking sheet and cover with a clean, lightly dampened kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining dough.

HOMEMADE LASAGNA PASTA SHEETS

Steps:

• Sift both flours into a food processor and sprinkle salt over. Set aside.
• Whisk whole eggs in a small bowl, and then whisk in oil and water.
• With the food processor running, pour in the egg-oil mixture slowly.
• Add the egg yolk as the mixture begins to form into a ball.
• Process until the dough is a buttery color and forms into a smooth ball, which should take about 30 seconds. DO NOT OVER-MIX.
• Remove dough from food processor and knead it with your hands for a minute.
• Form it back into a ball. Wrap with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 - 30 minutes.
• Place dough on a lightly-floured surface and divide into four equal balls. Keep unused dough wrapped in plastic while you work, to prevent it from drying up.
• Lightly flour one of the dough balls and form into a disc.
• Feed it through a pasta machine roller set at the thickest setting (No. 1); repeat.
• Fold the dough strip into thirds or quarters to create a square.
• Feed the dough strip through the pasta machine six times, flouring as needed and decreasing thickness by one setting each time, ending at number 5 or 6, depending on the thickness desired.
• Cut dough into 13 inch long strips while soft.
• Dry strips on a rack or on a board for at least 15 minutes.
• Repeat with remaining 3 balls of dough.
• Use immediately. Or dry the strips completely (at least 24 hours) and store in a large re-sealable food storage bag for up to 3 days.