Grandmas Nada Ricotta Cheesy Lasagna Recipes

EASY RICOTTA CHEESE LASAGNA

Steps:

• 1. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. 2. In a large skillet, combine pasta sauce and browned ground chuck. Bring to a simmer and heat through. 3. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese. Stir together well. 4. Pour approximately 1 cup of meat sauce into baking dish. Add water and combine with a spoon or fork. 5. Add a layer of lasagna noodles. Do not overlap as the noodles will expand overnight. 6. Add rounded spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture over the noodles and spread evenly. 7. Sprinkle about ¾ cup of mozzarella cheese over the ricotta layer. Top with about 1 cup of meat sauce. Begin a new layer of noodles and repeat as above, ending with remaining meat sauce. Save any remaining mozzarella cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 8. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. 9. Place the covered casserole in a cold oven. Set oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and top with remaining cheese. Return to oven and bake uncovered for an additional 15 to 25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the edges are bubbly. 10. Allow the lasagna to rest for 10-15 minutes prior to cutting and serving.

HOMEMADE LASAGNA WITH RICOTTA CHEESE

Steps:

• In a large stainless steel bowl or floured workspace, stir together the flour and salt. Create a well in the center and add the eggs and olive oil. Gradually mix the egg mixture into the flour using a fork or your fingers, eventually bringing the ingredients together to form a firm dough. You may need to add a few drops of water if the dough feels too dry.
• Transfer the dough to a flat surface and knead the dough until it's smooth, 3-4 minutes. Try to refrain from adding extra flour when kneading as this will give your pasta a floury taste. Dribble a little olive oil over the dough and place in a plastic bag. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
• While the dough rests, prepare the sauce. In a large saucepan, brown the sausage and burger. Add the garlic and onions and cook until they are tender, about 1-2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes. Season with dried basil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Simmer until thickened about 30-35 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan, eggs, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Mix well. Refrigerate until ready to assemble the lasagna.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. While the sauce cooks, continue with the pasta. Prepare a large workspace dusting it with flour. Divide the pasta into thirds, returning the extra dough to the bag until ready to use.
• Flatten one piece of dough with a rolling pin to match the size of your pasta roller. Feed the dough through the machine, using the first setting of your machine. Pass the pasta through once, and then fold it into thirds and pass it through again. After that, continue feeding the pasta sheet through the machine at each level (3, 4, 5...) until you reach the desired thickness. For lasagna, I go to 6. Cut this strip of pasta in half, which should measure about 10-11 inches after it has been cut.
• Place each of the thin sheets of pasta on the floured workspace, without touching. Repeat with the remaining dough for a total of six sheets of pasta. Cut each of these sheets in half lengthwise to form narrow strips, for a total of 12.
• Next prepare three baking sheets lined with damp kitchen towels. Bring a large pot of water to boil adding 2 teaspoons salt. Set up a large roasting pan filled with ice water next to the boiling pasta water. Cook the strips of pasta, a few at a time for just a little bit, 1-2 minutes once they return to a boil. Remove from boiling water and slip them into the ice water to cool. Then place them on the damp kitchen towels. Repeat until all of the pasta strips have been cooked.
• Prepare a 12x16 inch lasagna pan by spreading olive oil along the bottom and sides. To assemble the lasagna, spread 1 cup sauce over the bottom of the pan. Place three strips over the sauce, overlapping if necessary. Spread another cup of sauce over the pasta and layer with three more strips. (You have now used 6 of your pasta strips and two cups of your sauce.)
• Next, spread 1 cup sauce, half of the filling, and half of the sliced mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of pasta, 1 cup sauce, the remaining filling, and the remaining slices of mozzarella.
• Top with final three strips of pasta. Pour remaining sauce over the pasta and sprinkle with 1 cup grated Parmesan.
• Tent the lasagna with foil, making sure it doesn't touch the top and bake until bubbly, about 25 minutes. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes until the top is golden and crusty. Allow to rest for 10-12 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.
• Serve with your favorite bread and a salad. Serves 8-10.

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.

GRANDMA GUARNASCHELLI'S LASAGNA APPETIZER

Steps:

• For the tomato sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium pot, then add the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf, bring to a simmer and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Season to taste, then discard the bay leaf.
• For the pasta: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Stir in a generous handful of salt and add the lasagna sheets. Cook, stirring so they don't stick together, until still very firm to the touch, about 4 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water. Separate the sheets carefully so they don't stick together.
• Spoon a thin layer of the sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan. Arrange a layer of the pasta sheets over the sauce. Sprinkle some of the mozzarella, Parmesan and basil leaves over the pasta, then add another layer of sauce. Repeat the layering process 2 more times, ending with pasta and cheese.
• Cover the baking pan tightly with aluminum foil and place in the center of the oven. Bake for 45 minutes, then raise the temperature of the oven to 450 degrees F and remove the aluminum foil. Bake until the top browns slightly, an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes, then cut into squares. Drizzle with the balsamic and top with chopped parsley.

GRANDMA'S BEST EVER SOUR CREAM LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in the lasagna noodles, and return to a boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook and stir the sausage, ground beef, and garlic until the meat is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain any excess grease. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, parsley, basil, oregano, and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes.
• Stir together the sour cream, eggs, Parmesan cheese, green olives, salt, black pepper, and 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese in a bowl.
• To assemble the lasagna, spread a thin layer of the meat sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover with 1/3 of the lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the remaining meat sauce, 1/3 of the sour cream mixture. Repeat this layering 2 more times. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese evenly over the lasagna.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the sauce is bubbly and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

GRANDMA'S ITALIAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• In large skillet combine tomatoes, tomato puree, tomato sauce, 1 t. salt, pepper, oregano, and onion salt. Simmer, uncovered.
• Meanwhile, in second skillet sauté onion and garlic in oil until lightly brown.
• Then add ground beef and rest of salt. Cook until meat loses its red color. Drain.
• Add meat mixture to tomato mixture and simmer, uncovered, at least 2 hours or until thickened.
• Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
• Place several spoonfuls of sauce in bottom of 12"x8"x2" baking dish, enough to cover bottom of dish.
• Top with crisscross layers of lasagna noodles, then alternate the cheeses using half of each of the ricotta or cottage cheese. Repeat layers having same amount of ingredients. End with the remaining 3 slices of mozzarella cheese on top.
• Bake at 350* F for 40 to 50 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven and let stand 10 to 15 minutes, then cut in squares.
• The tomato sauce mixture is better if cooked a long time. This sauce may be frozen ahead of time, or can be kept in the ice box for a few days. The complete dish may be made ahead of time and frozen.

CHEESE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and lay noodles flat on foil to cool.
• Mix ricotta, eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper together in a bowl; mix well.
• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in spaghetti sauce and Italian seasoning until warmed through, stirring occasionally, 2 to 5 minutes.
• Spread 1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover with a layer of noodles. Spread 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over noodles; top with another layer of noodles. Pour 1 1/2 cups of sauce over noodles and spread the remaining ricotta over the sauce. Top with remaining noodles and sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Cover with a greased sheet of foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 45 minutes.

GRANDMA'S BEST EVER LASAGNA

Steps:

• Brown together sausage, hamburger, and garlic clove. Add parsley, basil, oregano, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer for 30 minutes.
• In large bowl, combine sour cream, eggs, salt, parmesean cheese, 1 bag mozzerella, and pepper. Cut olives and add to mixture.
• Boil noodles according to package directions.
• In a large baking pan, begin with a thin layer of meat sauce and then begin to layer noodles, sauce, then cheese.
• Cover with other bags of mozzerella cheese.
• Bake at 375 F for 30 minute If cheese starts to brown cover with foil for the remainder of the bake time.