Kittencals Meatball Lasagna Recipes

SAUSAGE MEATBALL LASAGNA

Steps:

• Make the meatballs: Mix the sausage and parsley in a bowl with your hands until combined. Dampen your hands and form the meat into 3/4-inch balls (you should have about 40). Heat the olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Working in batches, add the meatballs and cook, turning, until browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.
• Reduce the heat to medium high and add the soppressata, onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and basil and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Stir in the wine, tomato puree and 3 cups water. Reduce the heat to medium low and return the meatballs to the pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, 1 hour, 20 minutes.
• Prepare the lasagna: Whisk the ricotta, eggs and parmesan in a medium bowl. Fill a large bowl with hot water. Working in batches, soak the noodles until just pliable, about 5 minutes. Lay out on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a deep 10-by-13-inch baking dish. Lay 6 noodles in the bottom of the dish so they go partway up the sides and overlap slightly. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, then top with half of the meatballs and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Sprinkle with half each of the mozzarella and pecorino. Repeat the layers (noodles, ricotta mixture, meatballs, sauce, mozzarella and pecorino). Top with the remaining 6 noodles and cover with the remaining sauce.
• Tightly cover the dish with foil and bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until browned, about 15 more minutes. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

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.

KITTENCAL'S EASY LASAGNA

Steps:

• Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
• In a skillet cook the ground beef with onion until no longer pink; drain fat.
• Add in garlic (if using) and continue to cook until the meat is slightly browned (about 8 minutes).
• Add in pasta sauce; bring to a simmer over medium heat stirring.
• Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 40-45 minutes or even a little longer stirring occasionally, and seasoning with salt and pepper towards the end of cooking time (if you are making ahead cool to room temperature cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days, heat the sauce on top of the stove or in the microwave until hot before using for the lasagna).
• Meanwhile in a bowl mix all the filling ingredients together until well combined (taste the mixture and if so desired you may add in more seasoned salt and black pepper to suit taste).
• TO ASSEMBLE; spread 1/3 meat sauce into the bottom of the dish, then place 3 uncooked noodles lengthwise on the sauce (if desired you may use another noodle at the end of the dish facing across but you will need to snap off a bit of the end to fit in the dish).
• Dollup then spread half the ricotta cheese mixture on top of the noodles leaving about 1-inch space from the edge of the dish (the cheese mixture does not have to cover the noodles completely).
• Repeat with 3 noodles, remaining cheese mixture, then 1/3 of the meat sauce.
• Top with remaining 3 noodles then remaining 1/3 meat sauce.
• Sprinkle 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese on top then 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.
• Using a small spoon drizzle the water all around the edges of the pan at the same time slightly pushing the edges of the lasagna inwards to make room for the water.
• Place onto a baking sheet to prevent any spills (your pan will be very full).
• Set oven to 350 degrees F (oven rack set to bottom position).
• Cover tightly with a double layer of foil and bake for 45 minutes.
• Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.
• Allow to stand for 20 minutes before serving.

MEATBALL LASAGNA

Steps:

• Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix pasta sauce and tomatoes. Reserve 1/2 cup tomato mixture. Stir meatballs and stir-fry vegetables into remaining tomato mixture.
• In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg and basil.
• Spoon reserved 1/2 cup tomato mixture over bottom of baking dish. Top with 4 noodles. Top with about half of the ricotta mixture and half of the meatball mixture. Layer with remaining 4 noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and remaining meatball mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; cover baking dish with foil. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Bake covered lasagna 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until bubbly, edges are golden brown and cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

MEATBALL LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the first 10 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain. , Crumble meatballs into the sauce. In a small bowl, combine egg and ricotta cheese. Spoon 1 cup of the meat sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with half of the noodles, ricotta mixture, meat sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat layers., Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until golden brown. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

KITTENCAL'S ITALIAN MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
• Shape into small meatballs (at this point you can place on a jelly-roll/baking sheet and freeze to use later, or cover with plastic wrap refrigerate up to 24 hours before using).
• Drop the meatballs into simmering pasta sauce, do not stir for at least 20 minutes or you will risk breaking the meatballs.
• Continue cooking in the simmering sauce for another 20 minutes (depending on how fast your sauce is simmering 40 minutes total should fully cook the meatballs).
• After the 40 minutes cooking time continue cooking your sauce with the meatballs in for as long as desired.
• **note** you may also bake the meatballs at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until cooked through.

MY MEATBALL LASAGNA

Steps:

• Soak bread slices in warm water in a bowl for 5 minutes; squeeze bread dry and transfer to a large bowl.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic in hot butter until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic to bread. Stir 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning into bread and onions until thoroughly combined. Crumble ground beef into mixture; mix until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and black pepper.
• Form ground beef mixture into 1-inch meatballs. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pan-fry meatballs until browned, working in batches if necessary, about 10 minutes, turning often. Set meatballs aside.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine prepared spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, and Cheddar cheese soup in a bowl. Combine ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, and parsley in a separate bowl.
• Spread 1 cup of sauce mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Layer 1/3 the lasagna noodles over the sauce, overlapping if necessary. Arrange meat balls over noodles. Place 1/3 the lasagna noodles over meat balls, and spread with cheese mixture in an even layer. Top cheese layer with remaining 1/3 the lasagna noodles and spread remaining sauce over top layer of noodles. Sprinkle top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
• Bake lasagna in the preheated oven until casserole is bubbling and the topping is melted, about 1 hour.

PATSY'S MEATBALL LASAGNA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; season with salt. Add lasagna sheets, and cook until pliable and al dente, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pour 1 cup sauce into a shallow baking dish; set aside. Cut two sheets in half lengthwise to make four 2-by-8-inch sheets; set aside.
• Spread 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Dip half of a reserved cut sheet crosswise in the reserved sauce, and drape over a corner of the baking pan, leaving the sauce-covered end in the pan with the other half hanging over the edge. Repeat with remaining 3 cut sheets and corners. Line edges of pan in the same manner using full-size sheets dipped lengthwise. Finish lining the bottom of the pan with 2 full sheets.
• In a medium bowl, toss to combine meatballs with 1/3 cup pecorino Romano, and 1/4 cup basil; spread evenly in bottom of dish. Pour over 1 cup sauce, and cover with 2 lasagna sheets.
• In the same bowl, toss sausages with 1/3 cup pecorino Romano; spread evenly in baking dish. Pour over 1 cup sauce, and cover with 2 lasagna sheets.
• In a medium bowl, combine mozzarella with 1/3 cup pecorino Romano; spread evenly in baking dish. Pour over 1 cup sauce, and cover with 2 lasagna sheets.
• In a medium bowl, combine remaining 1/3 cup pecorino Romano with ricotta and egg; spread evenly in baking dish. Top with 1 cup sauce.
• Center pasta sheets on ricotta within 1/2-inch of the edge of dish. Brush draped lasagna with sauce, and fold over to seal and enclose.
• Cover lasagna with a clean, damp kitchen towel. Double-wrap baking dish in aluminum foil. Place an ovenproof plate, upside down, in a large roasting pan; fill pan with 2 inches of hot water. Place lasagna on top of plate. Bake until lasagna reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees to 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 1 1/2 hours to 1 hour 40 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with remaining basil, and serve with remaining sauce, if desired.

MEATLESS MEATBALL LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers, garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary, and parsley; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add thawed meatballs and break up with a spoon; cook until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Add spaghetti sauce, sugar, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce; cook until hot, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix ricotta, yogurt, and feta together in a large bowl.
• Ladle 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce mixture into the bottom of two 9x13-inch baking pans. Place 3 dry lasagna noodles over top, then spoon ricotta mixture over noodles, and top with mozzarella cheese and more sauce. Repeat layers once more: noodles, ricotta mixture, mozzarella, and sauce. Top with remaining mozzarella and sprinkle Parmesan over top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is golden brown and sauce is bubbling, about 40 minutes. Watch so cheese does not burn and cover if needed. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before cutting.

THREE-CHEESE MEATBALL LASAGNE

Steps:

• Squeeze the meat from the sausages and roll into meatballs - you'll get about four balls from each sausage. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide, deep frying pan or casserole dish. Cook the meatballs in batches, making sure you don't overcrowd the pan, until they're all golden brown. Put them aside on a plate when they're ready.
• Heat the rest of the oil in the pan and add the onion. Cook for 8-10 mins until soft, then stir in the garlic, fennel, oregano and chilli, if using. Stir around for a min or 2, then add the sugar, passata and tomatoes. Swish a little water around the containers to wash out all the tomatoes and add to the pan. Season well and simmer, uncovered, for 30-40 mins over a gentle heat until the sauce thickens and the chopped tomatoes break down.
• Heat the butter in a saucepan, add the bay leaves and let them sizzle in the butter for 1 min, then add the flour. Whisk to make a smooth paste, then add the milk, a little at a time, stirring continuously until it's all incorporated and you have a thick white sauce. Add the nutmeg and some seasoning. Leave over a low heat for 5 mins to allow the bay to infuse, whisking every now and then.
• Keep about 10 meatballs aside and add the rest to the tomato sauce. Spoon half the tomato sauce and meatballs into a baking dish (ours was 25cm x 35cm). Top with half the spinach, the basil and a little parmesan. Pour over about a third of the white sauce, and top with a layer of lasagne sheets, breaking them up to fit the dish if you need to.
• Repeat the layers once more; meatballs and sauce, spinach, basil, parmesan, white sauce, pasta. Pour the remaining white sauce over the lasagne, spreading it to the corners to cover the pasta. Dot with the meatballs you set aside earlier and the mozzarella, then scatter over a generous helping of parmesan and cheddar. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Or if not eating straight away, chill for up to 24 hrs or freeze for two months (defrost in the fridge overnight before cooking).
• Bake the lasagne for 40-50 mins until bubbling and golden with lots of crusty cheesy bits around the edges. Leave to sit for 5-10 mins before serving.