Rachael Ray Lasagna Recipe With Ricotta

LASAGNA WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT-RICOTTA FILLING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the cherry tomatoes on a large baking sheet along with the thyme, oregano and garlic. Dress with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast until the tomatoes burst, 35 to 45 minutes
• Brush the eggplant with the remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast alongside the tomatoes until soft, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Let the tomatoes cool slightly, and then puree them with the basil in a food processor until smooth. Remove the skins from the garlic and puree the sauce with the roasted cloves before transferring the sauce to a bowl.
• When the eggplant has cooled, spoon out the flesh and add it into the cleaned bowl of the food processor along with the ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, egg yolks and some salt and pepper. Puree the mixture until smooth and season with more salt and pepper.
• Ladle one-third of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Layer pasta sheets on top, followed by one-half of the eggplant, more pasta sheets, tomato sauce and 1/2 of the mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of pasta sheets, followed by the remaining eggplant, more pasta sheets and the remaining tomato sauce. Top the lasagna with the remaining mozzarella. Bake 1 hour. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.

MOM'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat
• Add the onion garlic and a three-finger pinch of salt and sweat them until they are translucent, about 2 minutes
• Add the neck bones and brown, about 5 minutes
• Add the ground veal, beef and sausage, season with another healthy pinch of salt and continue cooking until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes
• Add the white wine, tomatoes and their juice, and the bay leaves, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to get all of the browned bits into the sauce
• Season the sauce with salt and simmer for 2 hours over medium heat
• Remove the bay leaves and neck bones and let cool
• Skim any fat that rises to the surface
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil
• Add enough salt so that it tastes seasoned and allow the water to return to a boil
• Add the noodles and cook until al dente
• Drain well and set aside
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, parsley, basil, oregano and eggs with a pinch of salt
• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Ladle about 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch lasagna pan
• Arrange a layer of noodles over followed by a layer of sauce and then some ricotta mixture, smoothing it with a spatula to the edges of the noodles
• Repeat the process until the pan is full and finishing with a final layer of noodles, sauce, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese
• Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour
• Uncover and bake for 30 minutes to brown and bubbly on top
• Remove from oven and let cool slightly before cutting and serving
• MORE: Lasagna Burgers Jeanette's Holiday Lasagna Lasagna with Meat Ragu

SLOPPY LASAGNA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Break all of the pasta sheets into irregular, larger than single bite-sized pieces. Salt the water, then add the pasta and cook to a little shy of al dente. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
• Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot or large skillet over medium heat. Add the meat, press it into an even layer and brown it for 3 to 4 minutes before moving. Turn the meat and add the onions and grated carrot. Stir and cook a few minutes to soften, then add the garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper, to taste, and the cinnamon. Cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the tomato paste, wait for 1 minute then add the wine. Reduce for a minute more, then add the tomatoes, breaking them up as you stir. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the basil.
• While the sauce simmers, in a medium sauce pot, melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk and nutmeg, and season with salt, pepper, to taste. Let cook for a couple of minutes to thicken, then stir in 1/2 cup of the grated cheese and turn off the heat.
• Heat a broiler.
• Add the meat sauce to the bowl with the pasta and toss. Layer half of the pasta into a lasagna pan and scatter with dollops of fresh ricotta cheese. Top with remaining pasta. Pour the white sauce over the pasta and scatter the remaining 1 cup of the grated cheese over the top. Put under the broiler to brown and bubble. Remove from the broiler and serve.

LAZY LASAGNA WITH LAMB RAGU, SPINACH AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• For the ragu: Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil smokes, pat the ground lamb dry and add to pan, brown to caramelize the meat, season with rosemary, marjoram, cloves, salt, and pepper. Once the meat has browned, add the onion, carrot, garlic and cook to soften 10 minutes more, stirring frequently. Stir in tomato paste, cook 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in stock then wine, reduce heat to low and gently simmer.
• In salted boiling water, undercook the pasta by 2 minutes from package directions. Reserve a cup of starchy pasta liquid.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter in a saucepot over medium heat, whisk in 2 tablespoons flour, 1 to 2 minutes, whisk in the milk and simmer to thicken. Season the bechamel sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, to taste.
• Drain the pasta and add back to the pasta pot. Toss the pasta with the lamb ragu and some of the reserved starchy cooking water to loosen. Pour the pasta into a large casserole. Scatter the spinach around on top of pasta.
• Combine the ricotta with mint and/or parsley, dot the pasta with ricotta evenly around the casserole. Pour the bechamel sauce in even layer around the casserole and top with grated cheese. Cool and store for make-ahead meal. Reheat in 350 degree F oven, covered, for 30 minutes then raise the heat to 425 degrees F and bake uncovered, until brown and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.
• To serve immediately, transfer the casserole to a preheated 425 degree F oven and bake about 15 to 20 minutes, to brown.

SPINACH LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat the EVOO in a saucepot and add the butter. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and crush them up a bit. Add the passata, a fat handful of torn basil leaves, the onion and some salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the onion and set the sauce aside.
• Separate the spinach while adding it to a mixing bowl. Add half of the mozzarella, the ricotta, 1 1/2 cups of the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the eggs yolks and mix to combine. Season with grated nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• Layer a little sauce into a lasagna pan and top with three flat lasagna sheets or four curly. Top with a little more sauce, and then half of the spinach and cheese mixture. Repeat with another layer, and end on top with lasagna sheets. Top with some sauce and the remaining mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
• The lasagna can be stored before or after baking for a make-ahead meal, or baked to serve immediately. When baking the first time, bake at 375 degrees F, uncovered, from room temperature until cooked through and brown and bubbling on top, 60 to 70 minutes. If reheating, bake at 375 degrees F, covered, for 40 to 45 minutes.
• Let the lasagna rest 20 minutes before cutting. Serve with extra sauce on the side.

ALMOST LASAGNA - RACHAEL RAY

Steps:

• Heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Salt water and cook pasta to al dente. Heads up: you will need a ladle of the starchy cooking water to help form sauce before draining.
• Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add the meat and break it up into small bits as it caramelizes. Once meat has good color to it, 4 to 5 minutes, add garlic, onions and red pepper flakes and season with salt, pepper, allspice and Worcestershire sauce. Cook another 5 minutes, deglaze the meat and onions with red wine, cook off a minute, then combine about 1/2 cup of stock into the meat. Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 5 minutes.
• Place ricotta cheese in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Add a ladleful of boiling, starchy pasta water to the ricotta and stir to combine. Add a couple of handfuls of grated Parmesan to the ricotta and mix it inches.
• Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with cheeses. Add half the thick meat sauce to the pasta bowl and combine. Tear or shred the basil and add to the meat and pasta, toss again. Taste to adjust salt and pepper. Serve bowlfuls of Not-sagna with extra sauce on top and more grated Parmesan to pass at the table.

MILE HIGH LASAGNA FROM RACHAEL RAY

Steps:

• Preheat oven 375 degrees.
• Heat oil in large skilled med. low, cook onion and garlic about 10 min, till tender.
• Turn heat up to med. high, brown beef, add beef stock, basil and tomatoes breaking up with potato masher or wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to bubble, reduce heat and simmer 5 minute.
• Make a white or beshemel sauce in a saucepan: melt butter, stir in flour, whisk in milk. Cook over med. high till thick, stirring. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Layer Lasagna in loaf pans for the mile high effect. Meat sauce, Lasagna, white sauce and a handful of cheese, repeat till its a mile high!
• Cover with aluminum foil, place pans on baking sheet, Bake 30 minutes Uncover Bake15 more minutes.
• Notes: Sometimes I half this for my small family and only make 1 loaf pan. I have used dry seasoning, but I'm sure fresh are better. I also just use ground beef and my own canned tomatoes. Sometimes I add cottage cheese just sprinkled on. I really think the white sauce makes it good though!

LASAGNA STOUP ALA RACHAEL RAY

Steps:

• In a soup pot, heat oil over med high heat.
• Add the beef, season with salt and pepper and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Stir in the onion, carrots and garlic and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Stir in 2 cups water, the chicken broth and tomatoes; and dried seasonings -- if using fresh add later, cover and bring to a boil.
• Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 15 minutes.
• Serve stoup in bowls and dollop with ricotta.
• Pass the parm at the table.