Maries Italian Lasagna Recipes

LASAGNA IMBOTITO

Steps:

• For the meat sauce: Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the garlic and sweat until fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, mixing well. Add salt, pepper, basil flakes and parsley flakes and stir until well-combined. Simmer over a low flame while you cook the beef.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add ground beef and boil until cooked all the way through. Strain cooked beef and add to tomato sauce. Simmer for about 1 hour.
• For the sausage: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Have a meat grinder assembled with the sausage attachment and hog casing.
• Combine the pork, beef, fennel seed, black pepper, red pepper, salt and oil in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly so that all the spices are evenly incorporated. Run the meat through the sausage grinder and into the casing, twisting into sausages. Place the cased sausages on a baking sheet. Poke the sausages a few times with a toothpick or fork to create small holes (this will prevent the casing from bursting during cooking). Bake, rotating once halfway through the cooking, about 24 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
• For the meatballs: Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Combine the beef, breadcrumbs, Romano, parsley flakes, garlic, pine nuts, salt, pepper and egg in a medium bowl, being sure to mix well so that all the spices are evenly incorporated. Roll the meat into 3-ounce balls. Brown the meatballs on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat and let cool.
• For the filling: Assemble the meat grinder and have a bowl ready to catch the ground meat and cheese. Run 3 meatballs, 3 sausages, the prosciutto, soppressata and mozzarella cubes through the grinder and into the bowl. Mix well.
• Combine the ricotta, Romano, eggs, butter, parsley, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the ground meat and cheese mixture. Mix well.
• For the pasta dough: Heat a large pot of water to boil on the stove. Add a splash of oil.
• Fit a stand mixer with the dough hook, then generously oil the hook to prevent dough from sticking. Whisk the egg, milk, salt and 1 tablespoon water together in a mixing bowl. Pour egg and milk mixture into the stand mixer bowl and add half the flour. Beat the dough over medium-low speed until the flour begins to incorporate into the mixture. Gradually add the rest of the flour until the dough comes together and forms a ball. Once the dough is mixed, turn out onto a floured surface.
• Divide the dough into several portions. Using a pasta machine or pasta attachment for your stand mixer, sheet the dough: Begin with the machine on the thickest setting and run one of the dough pieces through. Gradually reduce the setting number until the dough has been sheeted through the lowest number. Using a pasta cutter, cut the dough into rectangular strips. Place cut strips onto a well-floured sheet pan or tray. Repeat this process with the rest of the dough.
• Carefully add the pasta sheets to the boiling water. Cook, stirring with a spatula to prevent the pieces from sticking together, about 2 minutes. Using a large wire strainer or slotted spoon, carefully transfer the cooked pasta to a parchment-lined tray or plate, being sure to use additional parchment sheets if layering the noodles. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and oil a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish.
• Gently drape the pasta sheets over the sides and corners of the dish, then fill in the bottom once the sides are covered (the finished lasagna will be fully wrapped in noodles). Add half the ricotta and meat filling, pressing it down into an even layer. Next, add a layer of meat sauce, putting just enough sauce to cover the ricotta and meat filling. Add another layer of noodles, this time only arranging them on top of the sauce and not draped over the sides. Add the remaining ricotta and meat filling and another layer of meat sauce. Carefully fold in the noodles that were draped over the sides and corners, then use more noodles to fill in any areas of the lasagna that are not covered.
• Cover lasagna in foil and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. Cut and serve topped with a generous amount of meat sauce and fresh basil for garnish.

LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the hamburger, sausage and garlic until brown. Drain off the excess fat. Add the tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Stir together well. Simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the olive oil and a dash of salt. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the noodles and lay them flat on a piece of aluminium foil to keep their shape.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grate the mozzarella cheese and set aside.
• Cut the basil into a chiffonade by stacking the leaves on top of one another, rolling them tightly and then cutting across. Finely chop the parsley. Add half the herbs to the meat mixture and stir together. In a medium bowl, combine the other half of the herbs, the cottage cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan and the eggs, and stir together well.
• Now let's assemble the lasagna! Begin by laying 4 lasagna noodles in the bottom of a deep rectangular baking pan; the noodles should slightly overlap. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture onto the noodles; spread to distribute evenly. Sprinkle half the mozzarella on top of the cottage cheese mixture. Spoon just under half the meat mixture on top of the mozzarella, and spread evenly, being careful not to disrupt the layers below. Now repeat the process, beginning with a layer of lasagna noodles, followed by the cottage cheese mixture, followed by the mozzarella and ending with a thick layer of the meat mixture.
• Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over the top. Bake until the lasagna is hot and bubbly, 35 to 45 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

WORLD'S BEST LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

BEST ITALIAN LASAGNA EVER!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Boil noodles and drain (you may also use uncooked noodles).
• Sauté garlic, sugar and salt.
• Add sausage and ground beef and brown, breaking into small crumbles.
• Add basil, pepper, tomatoes and paste; simmer 20-30 minutes until sauce thickens.
• Mix together in bowl, ricotta, egg and parsley (add milk if it's too thick).
• Layer sauce to cover bottom of pan, noodles 1/2 of ricotta mixture, 1/4 c of parmesan, noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, sauce and parmesan.
• Bake covered for 25 minutes.
• Uncover and bake another 25 minutes.
• Let cool about 10-15 minutes then cut and serve.
• Leftovers may be frozen and then heated in the oven until hot and melty.
• Goes great with crusty garlic toast and a salad.

CLASSIC ITALIAN LASAGNE

Steps:

• For the ragu, melt the butter in a large flameproof casserole dish over a medium heat until foaming. Add the celery, carrot, onion, porcini, rosemary and some seasoning, and fry for 5 mins.
• Season the meat, add to the dish and cook for 5 mins until browned. Pour in the wine, add the tomatoes and bring to the boil.
• Reduce the heat to low, put the lid on the dish and cook for 1hr 30 mins, removing the lid for the final 30 mins so the sauce can reduce. The meat should be tender but not too broken up, and the sauce should be thick. Taste for seasoning. You can cook it for longer if you have time - the flavour will only improve.
• For the béchamel sauce, pour the milk into a saucepan with the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, turn off the heat and set aside. In a heavy-based saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat, then whisk in the flour and hot milk. Whisk vigorously until smooth, then cook for 10-15 mins until very thick. Remove the bay leaf and season, grating in nutmeg to taste. Stir in the parmesan and egg yolks, then set aside to cool.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Working in batches of three, plunge the pasta sheets into a pan of boiling salted water for 20 secs, just to soften, then immediately put in a bowl of ice-cold water.
• Rub oil onto the base and sides of a large baking dish. Put a layer of pasta on the base, then add a layer of ragu, followed by a layer of béchamel sauce. A good tip, for really defined layers, is to pipe the béchamel sauce over.
• Repeat this process until you have used all the pasta and ragu, and finish with a layer of béchamel sauce on top. Sprinkle the top with a generous layer of parmesan.
• Bake in the oven for 40-45 mins or until bubbling and golden brown, then remove from the oven and leave to settle for 10 mins.
• Cut the lasagne into squares and let it sit for another 10 mins before serving - this keeps the layers defined and helps it cool down more quickly.

MARIE'S ITALIAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil, brown chicken thighs and remove from pan.
• Add onion and garlic to pan saute until soft, then remove to blender.
• Add tomatoes and basil and blend until sauce is smooth.
• Meanwhile, combine ground beef, Parmesan cheese, egg, bread crumbs, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper.
• Remove sausage from casings and brown in same pan along with beef mixture.
• Add blended tomatoes and sauces, chicken thighs and salt and pepper to taste.
• Simmer for 1 hour.
• Remove chicken from bones, shred and add to sauce.
• Bring pot of water to a boil, add lasagna and cook for 10 minutes.
• Drain well and rinse with cold water.
• Add layer of sauce to bottom of casserole dish.
• Layer with noodles, filling, sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella and repeat layers until all is used up.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes covered, then uncover and bake 15 minutes more.
• Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

BRENDA'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown beef and season with salt and pepper; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and garlic and simmer 5 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, combine mozzarella, Cheddar and ricotta; stir well. In 9x13 inch pan, alternate layers of noodles, meat mixture and cheese mixture until pan is filled.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

MARIE'S EASY LASAGNA

Steps:

• Brown meat and drain.
• Add sauce and set aside.
• Combine cheeses, seasonings and eggs.
• Spread 1 cup meat sauce in 9 x 13 pan.
• Layer 4 uncooked noodles.
• Spread on 1 cup cheese mixture, then 1 cup sauce.
• Repeat layers twice.
• Top with 4 noodles, sauce and cheeses.
• Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
• Let cool for 15 minutes.

TRADITIONAL ITALIAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pan; add the finely chopped onion, carrot, mushrooms, bacon, crushed garlic and celery (saving a couple of slices of onion, carrot and celery for bechamel sauce). Fry while stirring for 1-2 minutes; add the beef and cook over high heat for further 2 minutes.
• Stir in tomatoes and juices, tomato puree, wine, beef stock, 1 bay leaf, and seasoning. Bring to boil; reduce the heat to a simmer cover and cook for 35 minutes.
• meanwhile put the milk into a pan,add the saved slices of onion,carrot,celery,6 peppercorns and other bayleaf,bring slowly to the boil,then remove from the heat cover and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
• Make the bechamel sauce.
• Strain infused milk into a jug. Melt butter in a saucepan; add the flour and cook over a low heat stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually blend in the milk to prevent lumps. Bring to boil slowly stirring all the time until it thickens; season.
• Brush baking dish with butter. Spoon 1/3 of meat sauce into dish, cover with 4 or so sheets of lasagne, then 1 third of bechamel sauce. Repeat twice more. Sprinkle top with parmesan.
• Bake in a preheated oven 180c for 45 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.