Steve Browns Lasagna Food

LASAGNA SOUP

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook as the label directs. Drain; drizzle with olive oil and toss.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the sausage, garlic and oregano and cook, stirring and breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until darkened, about 2 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and 1 cup water; cover and bring to a simmer. Uncover and cook until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Stir in the noodles, basil, parmesan and heavy cream; simmer 2 more minutes.
• Divide the soup among bowls. Top with ricotta and sliced basil.

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.

BREAKFAST LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil; set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add a pinch chili flakes and sausage and cook, stirring occasionally to break into pieces, until sausage is cooked through and browned.
• Add 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet to melt, then stir in the flour until completely combined. Stir in chicken stock and milk, increase heat to bring to a boil, and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggs and cook, stirring often, to scramble. Remove from heat and set aside.
• To assemble lasagna, spoon 1/2 cup gravy, without sausage pieces, into the bottom of the baking dish and spread to coat. Place 4 lasagna noodles over the bottom of the pan, then top with half of the eggs, half of the spinach, 1/3 of the sausage gravy, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and 1/3 of the hashbrowns. Repeat with another layer of noodles, the remaining eggs, remaining spinach, sausage gravy, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar and 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella. Top final layer of noodles with remaining sauce, cheeses and hash browns.
• Cover and bake 30 minutes, the uncover and bake 10 minutes more. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with chopped chives to serve.

TRADITIONAL LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions, garlic, and red pepper for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let garlic brown. Add the tomatoes, oregano, and bay leaf to skillet. Let simmer until flavors blend, stirring occasionally every 1/2 hour. Stir in Parmesan, and remove bay leaf. Sauce is ready for lasagna to be made.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot, boil water, and cook pasta close to al dente. In a large bowl combine the ricotta, salt, pepper, and Parmesan, and mix until well blended. Mix in egg yolks and set aside.
• In a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of marinara sauce and cover with noodles. Spread a layer of ricotta cheese mixture over noodles. Top with mozzarella, another layer of sauce, and repeat. The third layer should be topped with sauce and mozzarella. Cover and bake for 40 minutes, remove cover and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and let stand for 20 minutes.
• To serve, cut into squares, and serve with drizzled marinara sauce.

MOM'S SEAFOOD LASAGNA

Steps:

• For the seafood: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp, garlic and seafood seasoning and cook until the shrimp turn pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the skillet.
• Add the wine and lemon juice to the skillet, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer and cook until the mixture is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the shrimp and crabmeat.
• Make the béchamel sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until combined. Gradually add the milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Romano until melted. Set aside.
• Make the spinach-artichoke ricotta: Stir together the ricotta, spinach, artichoke hearts, mozzarella, breadcrumbs, lemon zest and egg until combined. Season with salt. Fold in 1 cup of the béchamel sauce.
• Assemble the lasagna: Spread about 1/2 cup of the béchamel sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with 3 to 4 lasagna noodles and about 2/3 cup béchamel sauce. Top with half of the spinach-artichoke ricotta and half of the seafood. Repeat the layers once. Top with the remaining 3 to 4 lasagna noodles and béchamel sauce. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and Romano.
• Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil (coat with cooking spray before adding to the top to prevent the cheese from sticking). Bake, covered, until the lasagna is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the noodles are tender and the top is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

THE BEST LASAGNA

Steps:

• Put pasta water on to boil Put a large pot of salted water (1 Tbsp salt for every 2 quarts of water) on the stovetop on high heat. It can take a while for a large pot of water to come to a boil (this will be your pasta water), so prepare the sauce in the next steps while the water is heating.
• Heat the oven to 375°F
• Bake Cover the lasagna pan with aluminum foil, tented slightly so it doesn't touch the noodles or sauce). Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes. Uncover in the last 10 minutes if you'd like more of a crusty top or edges.

LASAGNA DIP

Steps:

• For the Italian gravy: Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and a pinch of salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and ground beef and cook until the meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Add the pasta sauce, tomato paste, sugar, 1/3 to 1/2 cup water and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• While the gravy cooks, make the Parmesan bechamel: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until the mixture bubbles and begins to smell nutty, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the Parmesan, garlic powder and Italian seasoning and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• To finish: Spoon the bechamel on top of the gravy. Add dollops of ricotta to the top and sprinkle with the cheese. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the pasta chips. Pour oil halfway up the sides of a very large cast-iron skillet and heat to 375 degrees F. Cut the cooked lasagna noodles into 2-inch rectangles. Fry the noodles in batches until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined wire rack and sprinkle with the garlic powder and salt while still hot.
• Remove the dip from the oven, and serve with the pasta chips.

GRILLED VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position one of the racks in the center.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and bay leaf and cook for about 30 seconds, then add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste and wine. Season with parsley, sugar, Italian seasoning, ground fennel, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the squash and zucchini to a large bowl, and toss with the extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the vegetables to the grill pan in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Grill until softened and there are grill marks, about 4 minutes per side.
• Mix the ricotta with the milk, Parmesan, egg, 1 cup mozzarella and a few pinches salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Spread a thin layer of the pasta sauce (about a third) on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of noodles (about 5), breaking to cover the entire dish in a single layer. Layer on half of the grilled veg, then half of the ricotta mixture and another third of sauce. Repeat the layers, finishing with the veg on top. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top in an even layer. Place the whole basil leaves on top.
• Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until lightly browned on top, another 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

AL BROWN'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.
• In a skillet cook beef, celery, onion, and garlic till meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off fat if any, and wipe out the pan.
• To the meat in the pan add the seasonings, cream, and cream cheese. Cook and stir over low heat to melt the cheese.
• Stir in wine. Gradually add cheddar and gouda cheese, stirring and heating till cheese is nearly melted; remove from heat.
• Stir together egg and cottage cheese.
• Layer half the noodles in a greased 13x9 baking dish. Top with half the meat sauce, half the cottage cheese, and half the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers.
• Bake uncovered in a 375 F oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes about 12-16 servings.

STEVE BROWN'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• Melt the beef fat in a large pot.
• Fry the onion until it begins to turn golden.
• Add the sirloin, and fry until the moisture is nearly gone.
• Add the garlic, aniseed, nutmeg, and black pepper, fry until it all is as browned as you like.
• Add the remaining sauce ingredients, and allow to simmer for half an hour.
• Once the sauce is done simmering, mix together the cheese mixture ingredients.
• Set aside 1 cup of sauce.
• If you're going to bake this right away, pre heat oven to 350.
• Grate the cheese, and set aside 1 cup of mozzarella. Mix that 1 cup of mozzarella with the 80g of parmesan, and set aside for the topping.
• Mix the semolina flour and eggs. You can begin with a fork, but you'll have to knead it by hand in the end. Add some water, about a teaspoon at a time, if it's too crumbly.
• Divide the pasta dough into four even balls.
• Use a pasta roller to make one ball into sheets to fit a 13x9 pan.
• Soak the sheets in hot water for 3-5 minutes, then lay them in a greased 13x9 pan.
• Cover the sheets with 1/4 the remaining sauce.
• Cover the sauce with 1/4 the remaining mozzarella.
• Cover the mozzarella with 1/4 the cheese mixture.
• Roll out the next ball of dough and soak it as you did before. Top with sauce, mozzarella, and cheese mixture. Do this two more times so that you have four layers.
• Cover with the reserved mozzarella and parmesan.
• Cover the cheese with small dollops of the reserved sauce.
• The lasagna can be covered and refrigerated at this point, or baked immediately.
• Bake for 45 minutes (55-60 minutes if it was refrigerated), allow to sit 15 minutes before serving.