Triple Cheese Aubergine Lasagne Recipes

TRIPLE CHEESE & AUBERGINE LASAGNE

Steps:

• First, make the tomato & aubergine sauce. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the aubergine in 3 batches, adding 1 tbsp oil for each batch. They should be softened and lightly golden.
• Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the onions for 5 mins until softened. Stir in the garlic, cook for 1 min more, then return the aubergine to the pan with the tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar and chilli flakes. Bring just to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook for 10 mins. Take off the heat, stir in the basil and soy sauce, and season to taste.
• Mix together all the ingredients for the ricotta filling, season and set aside - or cover and leave in the fridge if making in advance. Both the aubergine and the ricotta sauce can be chilled for up to 2 days.
• For the cheese sauce, add all the ingredients to a pan and cook over a medium heat, stirring all the time, until it thickens and the cheese has melted, then turn down the heat to low and cook for another 5 mins. Season to taste.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. To assemble the lasagne, spoon half the aubergine mixture into the bottom of a large baking dish. Top with a layer of lasagne sheets, then spread over a ricotta layer. Add another layer of lasagne sheets, followed by the remaining aubergine mixture and another layer of lasagne sheets. Pour over the cheese sauce (it can now be frozen for 1 month - defrost before cooking). Bake in the oven for 50 mins-1 hr until golden and heated through.

FIRE-ROASTED FIERI LASAGNA

Steps:

• 1.To prepare the ragu, place the tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until chunky. Set aside.
• 2.In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the carrots and onion and cook until the onion is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the ground beef, sausage, and pepperoni and season with the salt. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the meat is browned all over, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat as it cooks. Add the tomato paste and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until fragrant.
• 3.Dust the flour over the mixture and stir well to combine. Stir in the reserved tomatoes, basil, marjoram, oregano, black pepper, and chili flakes. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Using a large spoon, skim off any oil that accumulates on the surface. (The ragu can be prepared 2 to 3 days ahead of time; store it in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to use.)
• 4.To prepare the lasagna, in a large stockpot over medium-high heat, bring 2 gallons of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of the salt. Add the lasagna noodles and stir gently to separate. Cook the lasagna noodles until al dente, 8 to 9 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water. When the noodles are done, drain them, then plunge them immediately into the ice water for 30 seconds to stop the cooking process. Drain and spread the noodles on a rack.
• 5.In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, half of the Parmesan, the egg, nutmeg, and pepper. Mix well to combine and set aside.
• 6.In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, spinach, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Saute the spinach until tender and wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and pour off any liquid. Transfer the spinach to a clean kitchen towel and twist it into a ball to squeeze out any excess moisture. Set aside.
• 7.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready a heavy 10 x 14 x 3-inch lasagna pan.
• 8.To assemble the lasagna, ladle 1 cup of the ragu into the bottom and around the sides of the pan. Arrange several lasagna noodles on top of the sauce, slightly overlapping them to create an even layer that completely covers the ragu. Spread 2 cups of the ragu over the lasagna noodles, followed by one-third of the ricotta mixture, one-quarter of the mozzarella, and one-third of the spinach.
• 9.Arrange more noodles on top, overlapping to cover the spinach. Spread 2 cups ragu over the noodles, followed by half of the remaining ricotta, one-third of the mozzarella, and half of the spinach. Arrange more noodles on top. Spread 2 cups ragu over them, followed by the remaining ricotta, half of the remaining mozzarella, and the remaining spinach. Arrange more noodles on top. Spread the remaining ragu on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan and the basil, marjoram and oregano.
• 10. Cover the pan with heavy-grade plastic food wrap (or parchment paper), then wrap the whole pan tightly with aluminum foil. Place the pan on a baking sheet (to catch any drips) in the center of the oven. Bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and plastic food wrap and bake for 20 minutes longer, until well browned around the edges and bubbling. Finish under the broiler if necessary. Cool for 20 minutes before serving.

THREE-CHEESE LASAGNA WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• FOR SAUCE:
• Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and garlic; sauté until softened, about 12 minutes. Add beef and sausages to pan; sauté until cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer until flavors blend and sauce measures about 5 cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Cool.
• FOR LASAGNA:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Drain; cover with cold water.
• Combine ricotta and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Mix in spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs.
• Drain pasta and pat dry. Spread 1/2 cup sauce over bottom of 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Place 5 noodles over sauce, overlapping to fit. Spread half of ricotta-spinach mixture evenly over noodles. Sprinkle 2 cups mozzarella cheese evenly over ricotta-spinach mixture. Spoon 1 1/2 cups sauce over cheese, spreading with spatula to cover (sauce will be thick). Repeat layering with 5 noodles, remaining ricotta-spinach mixture, 2 cups mozzarella and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Arrange remaining 5 noodles over sauce. Spread remaining sauce over noodles. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese evenly over lasagna. (Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.) Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake lasagna 40 minutes; uncover and bake until hot and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving.

OUR FAVORITE LASAGNA WITH SAUSAGE, SPINACH, AND THREE CHEESES

Steps:

• Preparation:
• Position the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
• Make the sauce:
• In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the sausage, onion and 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, breaking up sausage with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, red-pepper flakes, and tomato paste; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add tomatoes (along with their juice) and oregano; bring to a simmer, and cook, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon until in small pieces, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more red-pepper flakes if desired.
• Make the filling:
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine all of the filling ingredients and process until mostly smooth.
• Assemble the lasagna:
• Squeeze the spinach in a paper towel or clean dishcloth until very dry. Transfer to a bowl and season with a pinch of salt.
• Coat baking dish with cooking spray and spread the bottom with 2 cups sauce. Top with a layer of three noodles, then a third of the ricotta mixture (about 1 1/3 cups), and a third of the spinach (about 2/3 cup). Sprinkle with 1 cup grated mozzarella.
• Repeat twice more, skipping the mozzarella on the third layer. Top the lasagna with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups mozzarella in clusters so some of the sauce peeks through.
• Place the baking pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Lightly spray a piece of foil with cooking spray, cover the lasagna, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until lightly browned and bubbly, about 20 minutes more. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
• DO AHEAD: The sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. The filling can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated.

TRIPLE-CHEESE EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• If you're a fan of salting eggplant to remove possible bitterness, proceed.
• I try to purchase the youngest, freshest eggplant I can and skip that step, finding that it actually seems to contribute to the eggplant's ability to soak up oil.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix the ricotta, mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
• Mix in egg and basil.
• In a large skillet, quickly saute eggplant in 4 tablespoons.
• of olive oil, browning each side.
• Repeat with remaining eggplant slices; add more olive oil if necessary.
• In a 9x13 inch baking dish, spread 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce.
• Arrange a single layer of eggplant slices on top of the sauce.
• Top eggplant with half of the cheese mixture.
• Repeat layering until all of the eggplant slices and cheese mixture are used.
• Pour the rest of the marinara sauce on top of the layered dish, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese (and some extra mozzarella, if you like).
• Bake until sauce is bubbly, about 30 to 45 minutes.

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the griller.
• Combine the lemon juice and olive oil and brush it on the eggplant slices.
• Lay them in a single layer on a nonstick baking tray and grill both sides for about 3 minutes each or until golden brown.
• Preheat the oven to 180C degrees.
• In a bowl combine the tomato puree, tomatoes, oregano, basil, cayenne pepper and garlic.
• In another bowl combine the parmesan and breadcrumbs.
• Spoon one third of the tomato mixture into the base of a lasagne or casserole dish.
• Sprinkle with one third of the breadcrumb mixture and cover with a layer of eggplant.
• Spread half the ricotta cheese over the eggplant and continue to layer in the same order, ending with the breadcrumb mixture (in my case hopefully).
• Scatter the mozzarella cheese over the top and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
• Serve with salad and crusty bread.