Megs Famous Lasagna Food

FAMOUS LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Generously salt water; add noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Lay noodles on a baking sheet, separating layers with parchment or waxed paper.
• In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, parsley, and egg. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Begin layering: Place 4 noodles in dish, slightly overlapping. Top with half the meat sauce and 4 more noodles. Top with half the ricotta filling, then half the mozzarella. Repeat the layering process, ending with the mozzarella. Sprinkle top with Parmesan.
• Cover with lightly oiled foil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet; bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake until bubbling and browned, 30 to 40 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

MEG'S FAMOUS LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown ground beef. Drain. Move cooked ground beef to a large electric skillet or large sauce pan.
• In same large skillet, cook onion until it is translucent. Add to the cooked ground beef.
• Add to your sauce pot the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, water, garlic, and herbs/spices. Bring to a boil.
• Turn heat to medium-low and simmer for an hour to an hour and a half. The longer you let the sauce simmer, the more flavorful your sauce will be.
• Meanwhile, run your kitchen faucet until the water gets very hot and fill a large bowl with the hottest water you can. Soak your lasagna noodles in the bowl of water while your sauce is simmering. This will "cook" your noddles, but keep them al dente during the baking process.
• When your sauce is about ready, combine in a large mixing bowl the ricotta, Parmesan, mozarella and egg. Mix until evenly blended.
• In a 9x12" glass baking dish, layer as follows: sauce, six noodles, half of cheese mixture, sauce, six noodles, half of cheese mixture, sauce.
• Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. At this point, you can put the lasagna in the fridge to let it "gel" overnight, or you can finish the lasagna if you intend to eat it right away. Either way, the next step is as follows.
• Sprinkle the shredded cheese top of the lasagna and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the cheese in golden and bubbly.
• Serve with a caesar salad and breadsticks. (Enjoy leftovers for breakfast the next day!).

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.

MY FAMOUS CHEESY, HEAVY-DUTY LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a skillet, brown beef and sausage over medium heat until no longer pink.
• Drain.
• Add the next seven ingredients.
• Simmer, uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• In a bowl, combine eggs, parsley, cottage cheese, ricotta, parmesan.
• Spread 1 cup of meat sauce in an ungreased 9x13inch baking dish.
• Layer 3 noodles.
• Layer 6 slices of provolone over noodles.
• Layer 2 cups cheese mixture & 1-1/4 cup mozzarella cheese over provolone.
• Layer 3 noodles.
• Layer 2 cups meat sauce.
• Layer remaining cheese mixture & 1 1/4 cup mozzarella.
• Top with remaining noodles, then meat sauce, then mozzarella. Dish will be full.
• Cover with foil (leave room in between foil and cheese so it doesn't stick).
• Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes.
• Uncover and bake 20 minutes longer.
• Let stand 15 minutes.

MEGHAN'S EASY LASAGNA

Steps:

• Brown beef with seasonings, breaking into small pieces, and drain when done Add all but 1/2 cup of the Prego.
• Add ketchup.
• Add brown sugar and other seasonings.
• Let sauce simmer as you begin putting the lasagna together.
• Put remaining Prego on bottom of pan.
• Line pan with lasagna noodles (about 5).
• Evenly coat cottage cheese on noodles.
• Evenly coat cottage cheese with colby/jack cheese.
• Pat down the ingredients in the pan.
• Add half the sauce, spreading evenly.
• Do another layer of noodles and press down again.
• Add remain sauce.
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup parmesan cheese on top.
• Cover with foil.
• Cook for 1 hour on 350.
• Remove foil.
• Add mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/4 cup parmesan.
• Turn oven to broil and keep door open.
• Watch cheese melt and remove from oven when lightly brown and bubbly.
• Enjoy!

WORLD'S BEST LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

BEST LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook sausage, beef and onion over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, breaking up meat into crumbles. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Drain., Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar, 3 tablespoons parsley, basil, fennel, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally., In a small bowl, mix egg, ricotta cheese and remaining parsley and salt., Preheat oven to 375°. Spread 2 cups meat sauce into an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with 3 noodles and a third of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining meat sauce and cheeses (dish will be full)., Bake, covered, 25 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 25 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.