Nonnas Lasagna Recipes

NONNA'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• To make the pasta, follow the directions for Homemade Egg Pasta. After rolling, cut into 12 inch long strips, then precook in boiling water for 30 seconds and place in ice water.
• Dry and set aside on clean kitchen towels.
• To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a saucepan and once hot add the pork bones over medium heat and cook until well browned. Add the onion and continue cooking until it is tender. Add the garlic and stir well, cooking an additional minute. Finally add the puree, paste and 1 cup of water.
• Next add the oregano, 1/2 cup of the parsley, the basil, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
• Taking the ground beef (or beef/veal mix), and add the egg, bread crumbs, 1/4 parsley, 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese and salt and pepper. Add the milk to the bread cubes and soak. Once the bread is soft use your fingers to break it up and then add it to the meat mixture. Mix all the ingredients together well with your hands, and then roll into small 1 inch sized meatballs and drop carefully in the sauce.
• Continue cooking the sauce for about 2 hours over low heat, adding additional water as needed if the sauce becomes too thick.
• Remove the meatballs and the pork bones from the sauce with a slotted spoon and place into a small bowl when the sauce is complete.
• To assemble the lasagne, add about 1/2 cup of sauce to the bottom of a large lasagne pan, then add a little water and mix.Make an overlapping layer of the noodles across the bottom of the pan. Spread a large spoonful of sauce on top, making sure the noodles are well covered. Add one more layer of noodles and sauce, and then add a layer of the mozzarella slices. Continue in this manner until you have 5 layers.
• On the top, cover the noodles well with the sauce, place another layer of mozzarella, then sprinkle on the parmesan. To finish, evenly place the meatballs across the top surface.
• Cover with foil, and bake in a preheated 375 degree F. oven for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook another 10 minutes. Let rest an additional 10 minutes before serving.

LASAGNA NONNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut the butternut squash in half and spoon out the seeds. Place on baking sheet cut-side down. Add some water and bake until a knife slides through the skin and squash easily. Cool and then spoon the flesh from the shell. Set aside for later use.
• Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
• Place the ricotta, cream, garlic, shallots, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes in a medium-size mixing bowl. Whisk to combine until there are no lumps.
• Mince up the sage and add to the ricotta mix. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Whisk until blended and set aside for later use.
• Take 1 cup of the marinara and evenly coat bottom of each pan. Next lay a sheet of pasta down in each. Spread some of the ricotta mixture on each sheet and top with 3 cups of baby spinach.
• Add another sheet of pasta, then some more ricotta and spread half of the butternut squash, mashing up any larger pieces, over each lasagna.
• Then add another layer of pasta on each. Top with the remaining ricotta mixture and 3 cups of baby spinach on each. Add the last layer of pasta and pour the remaining marinara on top. Finish with the Parmesan and then the mozzarella.
• Wrap each with parchment paper and then aluminum foil. Bake until cooked through, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool, then cut and serve.

LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• For Nonna's bolognese sauce: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, then add the carrots, celery, garlic and shallots. Continue to saute until the beef is fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain any excess fat and then add the wine. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the marinara sauce and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a medium simmer and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt. Remove from the heat, transfer to a dish and let cool for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For Nonna's signature ricotta: Put the ricotta, cream, garlic, shallots, dried basil, oregano, and chile flakes in a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine until there are no lumps. Season with salt. Set aside.
• For the lasagna bolognese: Prepare a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish by coating the bottom with 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce, spreading it out evenly. Arrange a layer of the lasagna noodles to completely cover the sauce. Add a third of the ricotta mix and spread evenly. Add a quarter of the cooled bolognese sauce and spread evenly. Repeat this process layering two more layers of lasagna sheets, ricotta mix and bolognese sauce for a total of three layers.
• After finishing the third layer of sauce, arrange a fourth layer of lasagna sheets on top and cover it with the remaining 1/2 cup marinara. Then sprinkle with the Parmesan and lightly cover the entire top with the Italian cheese blend. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil.
• Place the lasagna on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until the lasagna is hot and bubbly, about 1 hour. Remove the foil and plastic wrap and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Let set 10 minutes before serving.
• To serve: Cut into 6 servings and top each serving with the remaining bolognese sauce, Parmesan, Italian cheese blend and fresh basil.

BUDDY VALASTRO'S GRANDMA MADDALENA'S SAUSAGE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Sauce:.
• In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil, add the beef, pork, veal and sausage (without casing) and cook until browned.
• Add garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant.
• Stir in the tomato paste and cook until the meat is coated.
• Add tomatoes with their juices and the tomato puree, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
• Simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened about 1 1/2 hours.
• Ricotta:.
• In large bowl, combine the ricotta with the parsley, basil, 1 cup of the Parmesan, 1 pound of the shredded mozzarella and beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
• Noodles:.
• The instructions suggested cooking the dry, curly-ridged lasagna noodles 3 minutes in abundant salted water, drained, rinsed -- I say use fresh, no-cook or even the curly edged pasta, and forget about the pre-cooking. I guarantee the sauce will cook the noodles after 45 minutes of cooking time. This also makes life much easier.
• Lasagna Time:.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F Spread 1.5 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Line the dish with overlapping noodles.
• Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, sprinkle with a little Parmesan and shredded mozzarella then top with 1 1/2 cups of the sauce and another layer of noodles.
• Repeat the layering 2 more times. Top with noodles and cover with 1 1/2 cups of sauce (may want to use extra if using uncooked noodles to ensure the noodles are covered and cook evenly. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over the lasagna.
• Cover Lasagna with foil and bake for about 20 minutes.
• Uncover then cook for 30-45 minutes more or until the top is golden and crisp around the edges and the filling is bubbling.
• Let the lasagna rest for 20 minutes before serving.

DONNA LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook beef and sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the tomato puree, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon parsley, sugar, basil, 1 teaspoon salt and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. , In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, pepper, and remaining parsley and salt. , Spread 1/2 cup meat mixture in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with 3 noodles, a third of the cheese mixture, 1-1/3 cups mozzarella cheese and a third of remaining meat sauce. Repeat layers twice., Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a thermometer reads 160°. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.