Shelleys Lasagna Food

GRANDMA GUARNASCHELLI'S LASAGNA WITH MINI BEEF MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Make the sauce: In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and season with 1 tablespoon salt. Stir in the red pepper flakes and sugar, and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, with their juices, and the oregano. Cook for a few minutes over high heat, stirring from time to time. Taste for seasoning, add the basil leaves, and remove from the heat.
• Make the meatballs: Put the beef and veal in a large bowl and spread the meat all over the bottom of the bowl and up the sides a little. (This will help you to distribute the seasonings evenly through the meat.) Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt. Then sprinkle the bread crumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and parsley all over the meat and use your hands to mix the ingredients together. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and garlic. Drizzle the egg mixture over the meat. Mix the meat thoroughly with your hands.
• Test a meatball: Form 1 small meatball (about 1 inch in diameter) with your hands. Heat a splash of the canola oil in a small skillet over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, add the meatball, lower the heat, and cook it over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste for seasoning and texture. If it seems too wet, add some more bread crumbs to the mixture in the bowl. If it is too dry, add a splash of water. Adjust the seasoning of the mixture in the bowl as needed. Roll the remaining meat into balls; you should have about 40 very small meatballs.
• Cook the meatballs: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add half of the remaining canola oil. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, remove the pan from the heat and add half of the meatballs in a single layer, spreading them apart somewhat so they have a chance to brown instead of steaming. Return the pan to high heat and brown the meatballs, turning them so they brown all around, until medium-rare, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to transfer them to a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel to drain. Wipe out the skillet and repeat the process with the remaining canola oil and meatballs.
• Cook the pasta: Bring 6 quarts water to a rolling boil in a large pot over high heat and season with 1/2 cup salt. The pasta water should taste like seawater. Add the lasagna sheets, stirring with a slotted spoon to make sure they do not clump or stick to the bottom, and cook for 4 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water, and drain again. The pasta should still be very firm to the touch. Separate the sheets carefully so they don't stick together.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Assemble the lasagna: Spoon a thin layer of the sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Arrange a layer of pasta sheets over the sauce. Sprinkle one-fourth of the mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmigiano-Reggiano over the pasta, and then add another thin layer of sauce. Dot the surface with about one-third of the meatballs, spacing them evenly. Repeat the layering process two more times. Add a final layer of pasta and top it with the remaining sauce and cheese.
• Bake the lasagna: Cover the dish tightly with foil and put it in the center of the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Then raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and remove the foil. Bake the lasagna until the top browns slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the lasagna from the oven and allow it to cool for 15 minutes or so before serving.

LASAGNA SOUP

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Break the lasagna noodles into random smaller pieces.
• In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion,
• garlic, oregano, and thyme and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 2 minutes.
• Increase the heat to medium-high, then add the ground beef, sausage, salt, and pepper . . .
• And saute until the meat is fully cooked, breaking it up as you go, about 5 minutes. Drain
• off at least half of the grease.
• Add the tomato paste . . .
• And stir to combine. Let the tomato paste cook for 1 minute.
• Add the wine and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up any flavorful little
• bits.
• Add the tomatoes and their juice, crushing them with the spoon as you stir them in.
• Add the stock and stir it in . . .
• Then add the parsley.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust
• the salt and pepper as needed.
• Cook the noodles about 1 minute less than the package directions, until almost tender. Drain and set aside.
• Pour in the cream and stir to combine.
• Add the noodles and let them simmer for 5 minutes while you make the ricotta mixture.
• Make the ricotta "dumplings:" In a bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley,
• basil, salt, and pepper . . .
• And stir until combined.
• Dish up bowls of soup, sprinkle with a little extra basil, and add a dollop of ricotta (or two or three) to the top of each one!

SHELLY'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• Brown ground beef, stirring till no large lumps remain.
• Push meat to sides of pan and let water cook away until water has evaporated.
• While there is still water in the pan, pour in dried onion flakes.
• When water is gone and only grease remains, stir and then drain the meat through a colander.
• Add remaining spices and stir.
• Then add the spaghetti sauce and let simmer.
• While sauce is simmering, combine Cottage Cheese and Ricotta Cheese in mixing bowl.
• Beat together with a mixer until smooth.
• (At this point you can put the baby spinach in a food processor and chop finely and add to cheese mixture, if desired) Once sauce has simmered 15 to 20 minutes, gather cheese mixture, sauce, noodles and Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
• Pour a layer of sauce into 13 x 9 inch baking pan or casserole dish.
• Using DRY noodles, spread the Cottage and Ricotta cheese mixture on each noodle and place in pan side by side.
• Then pour a layer of sauce over the cheese.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan to cover and then add a thick layer of shredded mozzarella.
• Repeat until there are 3 layers of each.
• (Note: When using dry noodles sauce should be a bit more thin than if using cooked noodles. The dry noodles will absorb the liquid and cook along with the rest) Cook in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 40- 45 minutes.
• Keep covered loosely with aluminum foil for the first 30- 35 minutes so cheese doesn't brown too much.
• Once it has baked, remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes to make cutting easier.

SHELLEY'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In frying pan brown onions and ground beef.
• Combine rest of ingredients (except cheeses) to make sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
• In lasagna pan or 9x13-inch baking pan, spray lightly with non-stick spray. Build your lasagna in this order, 1/3 sauce, one layer noodles, sliced cheese, 1/2 cheddar, 1/3 sauce, layer of noodles, last of cheddar, 1/3 sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella.
• Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

OLD SCHOOL LASAGNA WITH BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Tomato Sauce:
• In a medium pot, heat the olive oil and add the onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. When it turns light brown, add the thyme, bay leaf and tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes, then taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper, if desired. Remove and discard the thyme and bay leaves. Stir in the basil leaves and shut off the heat to allow the sauce to "rest."
• Pasta: Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Add the salt and the lasagna sheets. Cook for 4 minutes, drain and rinse under cold water. The pasta should still be very firm to the touch. Separate the sheets carefully so they don't stick together.
• Divide the tomato sauce in half and reserve half for the Bolognese and half for the lasagna.
• Assemble the lasagna:
• Spoon a thin layer of the sauce in the bottom of the baking pan. Arrange a layer of pasta sheets over the sauce. Sprinkle some of the mozzarella and Parmesan over the pasta and another thin layer of sauce. Repeat the layering process 2 more times. It is important there be remaining cheese and sauce for the top. Cook's Note: I love to get a corner piece from the pan and pick at the crispy edges of the top layer. When you finish, there should be 4 layers of pasta and 5 layers of filling.
• Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and put it in the center of the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Raise the temperature of the oven to 450 degrees F and remove the aluminum foil. Bake until the top browns slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes or so before serving.
• Make the Bolognese while the lasagna is baking:
• In a large wide pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add the ground beef and cook until brown, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the pieces. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside. Set the pot back over the heat and add a little more olive oil. Add carrots, onion and celery. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the beef back to the pot, then add the reserved 1/2 recipe of tomato sauce. Cover slightly and simmer for 20 minutes.
• When done, finish with milk, taste, season and serve, spooned over the lasagna.

VELVEETA SHELLS AND CHEESE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Brown ground beef. Drain and then mix with sauce. While beef is browning, make shells and cheese as directed on package.
• Layer cooked pasta with beef and mozzarella cheese. Repeat until you have 3 layers. Top with parmesan cheese.
• Bake at 350°F until top is brown and bubbling, about 30 minutes.

STUFFED LASAGNA SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spray Bottom of your glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
• Pasta:.
• *Use a large pot. Bring 6 cups of water and two tablespoons of butter (so shells don't stick) to a boil. Add salt if you want.
• *Return water to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes.
• *Remove from heat and drain well.
• In large bowl, beat egg. Stir in ricotta, 1 3/4 cups of the mozzarella, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the parsley, and the cooked meat of your choice.
• Assemble:.
• Spread 1 cup of the sauce in baking dish.
• Fill cooked shells with ricotta mixture arrange filled shells in baking dish.
• Pour remaining sauce over shells. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Cooking instructions:.
• Bake, covered with foil, until bubbly, about 45 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

CHEESY SHELL LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a nonstick skillet, cook beef and onions over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in the tomatoes, spaghetti sauce and mushrooms. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. , Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain., Place half of the pasta in an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Top with half of the meat sauce, sour cream and provolone cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese., Cover and bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until the cheese begins to brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.