Featured Recipe Olive Garden Five Cheese Lasagna

OLIVE GARDEN 5-CHEESE LASAGNA (COPYCAT RECIPE)

Steps:

• Melt butter with medium heat in heavy 1 quart saucepan.
• Add flour and stir until well blended; cook until frothy.
• Add milk, stirring constantly with wire whisk as mixture comes to a simmer.
• Cook and stir until thickened (3-4 minutes).
• Chill while mixing other ingredients.
• Drain and mince tomatoes and garlic.
• Place other cheese filling ingredients in 3-quart mixing bowl with tomatoes and garlic.
• Add 1-1/2 cups of cooled cream sauce and mix until well blended.
• Refrigerate, reserving 1/2-cup for later use.
• Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.
• Cool under cold water and drain.
• Place 3 lasagna noodles in a 9x13x2 lightly oiled baking dish, overlapping slightly.
• Spread 1-1/2 cups cheese filling over noodles; sprinkle with one cup mozzarella and 1/4-cup fontina cheese.
• Repeat pasta and cheese layering; top with remaining three lasagna noodles.
• Spread 1/2-cup of reserved cream sauce over top and cover lightly with foil.
• Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 1 hour.

5-CHEESE LASAGNE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the lasagne noodles.
• To make the sauce: Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium sauce pot, saute garlic and onion until the onions become translucent. Add crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 20 minutes, checking periodically to make sure the sauce doesn't burn.
• Boil the lasagne noodles until al dente, about 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with olive oil so the noodles don't stick together. Let cool.
• This lasagne will have 4 layers but 2 different types of cheese layers. One cheese layer will consist of mascarpone, ricotta, Parmesan and egg to bind. Combine these 4 ingredients in a bowl and set aside briefly. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Layer 4 to 5 lasagne noodles lengthwise side by side in an ovenproof lasagne dish with edges overlapping. Top with half of the mascarpone/ricotta cheese mixture. (It is easiest to drop evenly spaced spoonfuls of this over the noodles, and then spread it out.) Distribute half of the fresh basil and half of the fresh oregano over the cheese, then layer another 4 or 5 lasagne noodles over the cheese in the same fashion as the first layer of noodles.
• The second layer of cheese will consist of provolone and mozzarella. Spread half of the provolone cheese slices over the second layer of noodles and sprinkle with half of the mozzarella. Repeat the process with the noodles, remaining mascarpone/ricotta and noodles for the third layer. For the last layer, spread out the remaining noodles, top with remaining provolone, but then ladle the tomato sauce over and finish with the remaining mozzarella.
• Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, remove and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs.

FEATURED RECIPE: OLIVE GARDEN FIVE CHEESE LASAGNA

Steps:

• To make sauce, melt butter over medium heat in heavy, 1 quart saucepan. Add flour and stir until well blended; cook until frothy. Add milk, stirring constantly with wire whisk as mixture comes to a simmer. Cook and stir until thickened (3-4 minutes). Chill while mixing other ingredients. Drain tomatoes. Place other cheese filling ingredients in 3-quart mixing bowl with tomatoes and garlic. Add 1 and 1/2 cups of cooled cream sauce and mix until well blended. Refrigerate, reserving 1/2-cup for later use. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Cool under cold water and drain. Place 3 lasagna noodles in a 9x13x2 lightly oiled baking dish, overlapping slightly. Spread 1 and 1/2 cups cheese filling over noodles; sprinkle with one cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina cheese. Repeat pasta and cheese layering three more times; top with remaining three lasagna noodles. Spread 1/2 cup of reserved cream sauce over top and cover lightly with foil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and keep warm at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve topped with hot marinara and Parmesan cheese. (Can be refrigerated for a day before baking if desired)

FOUR-CHEESE LASAGNA (ACTUALLY 5!)

Steps:

• Place Gruyère and 1/2 cup Parmesan in large heatproof bowl. Combine ricotta, egg, black pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley in medium bowl. Set both bowls aside.
• Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming; add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly combined, about 1 1/2 minutes; mixture should not brown. Gradually whisk in milk and broth; increase heat to medium-high and bring to full boil, whisking frequently. Add salt, bay leaf and cayenne, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon and making sure to scrape bottom and corners of saucepan (you should have about 4 cups).
• Remove saucepan from heat and discard bay leaf. Gradually whisk 1/4 cup sauce into ricotta mixture. Pour remaining sauce over Gruyère mixture and stir until smooth; set aside while softening noodles.
• Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place noodles in 13 by 9-inch baking dish and cover with very hot tap water; soak 10 minutes, agitating noodles occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water, place in single layer on kitchen towel, and pat dry. Wipe out baking dish and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
• Distribute 1/2 cup sauce in bottom of baking dish. Place 3 noodles in single layer on top of sauce. Spread 1/2 cup ricotta mixture evenly over noodles and sprinkle evenly with 1/2 cup fontina. Drizzle 1/2 cup sauce evenly over cheese. Repeat layering of noodles, ricotta, fontina, Gorgonzola, and sauce 3 more times. Place final 3 noodles on top and cover completely with remaining sauce, spreading with rubber spatula and allowing to spill over noodles. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.
• Spray large sheet foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover lasagna; bake until edges are just bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time. Remove foil and turn oven to broil. Broil until surface is spotty brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons parsley; cut into pieces and serve.

FIVE-CHEESE LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a stockpot, cook noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes; rinse in cold water and drain. , In several large skillets, cook sausage onions until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Add tomato sauce and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes. , Grease ten 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. In each dish, layer with about 1-1/2 cups tomato sauce, four noodles, about 1-1/4 cups ricotta, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, about 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup Romano and three slices provolone. Repeat layers. Top with four noodles, about 1-1/2 cups of tomato sauce, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and about 1 tablespoon parsley. , Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 40-50 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.