Lasagna

Lasagna

Finally the recipe of the famous Lasagna. Our Lasagna is known and imitated in all the world. For us, there is a connection between this delicious dish and holidays; in fact, we cook it on holidays like Christmas, New Year, Carnival and other occasions. The smell of lasagna adds to the exciting festive atmosphere.

Lasagna requires a little more work and a few more ingredients than other pasta dishes, but it’s worth it. Serve it as a main dish with a side dish of fresh green salad and a glass of a good red wine, if desired.
Lasagna recipe is also in my book Perfectly Pasta.

  

Preparation time: about 20 minutes
Cooking time: about 1½ hours

Serves 6–7

Ingredients:

For the tomato sauce:
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
4 cans Italian peeled tomatoes, approximately 14 ounces (400 grams) each
1 cup (250 milliliters) water
Salt, about 2 teaspoons
Pepper to taste
For the stuffing:
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1¼ pounds (approximately 600 grams) ground beef
2 eggs
3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
¼ pound (110 grams) mozzarella cheese, finely chopped
10 ounces (280 grams) ricotta cheese
1 cup (250 milliliters) milk
Pinch nutmeg
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Grana Padano) cheese, about 1½ cup (370 milliliters)
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste

Lasagna noodles, about 1 pound (450 grams)
Warm water, just enough to soak the lasagna noodles

Method:

1.        Prepare the tomato sauce: Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and sauté. Add the tomatoes, water, salt, and pepper; stir well and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes. At this point, taste the sauce and add more salt if needed. Then, with an immersion blender, blend the sauce and set aside. Don’t worry if the sauce is a little watery; that is how it is meant to be.
2.        Prepare the stuffing: Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the garlic and sauté. Add the ground beef and let brown a little. Add the eggs, stir well, and let cook for 3–4 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the parsley, mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, milk, nutmeg, ½ cup (120ml) of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, the salt, and pepper and mix well. Taste the meat mixture and add more salt if needed.
3.        Preheat the oven to 390° F (200° C).
4.        Meanwhile, soak the lasagna noodles in warm water for 15–20 minutes (don’t worry if they break, you can use them anyway)
5.        Build the lasagna layers: On the bottom of a baking pan (about 9 x 13 inches or 22.8 x 13 centimeters), spread about 1–2 spoonfuls of tomato sauce. Lay a flat layer of lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread half of the meat mixture over the noodle layer, spread 1–2 spoonfuls of tomato sauce over the meat layer, and then sprinkle 1–2 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano on top.
6.        Lay down a second layer of noodles over the Parmigiano-Reggiano, spread the remaining meat mixture over the noodle layer, spread 1–2 spoonfuls of tomato sauce over the meat layer, and then sprinkle 1–2 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano on top.
7.        Cover with the last layer of noodles, spread the remaining tomato sauce over the noodle layer, and sprinkle the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano on top.
8.        Bake for 30–40 minutes. Allow to rest at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes:
·         You can use mild white cheddar cheese  in place of the mozzarella cheese.
·         You will use 4 or 6 noodles for each layer, depending on the exact size of the pan.