29, Sep 2020

Ultimate Lasagna in just five easy to make steps!

Thanks for coming to check out my new blog, I’m so excited to begin this adventure and I hope you are with me every step of the way! I have SO SO many recipes that I want to share with all of you! When I was deciding what I wanted to post first, my initial thought was comfort. With as crazy as 2020 has been, I think we can all do with a little food love right now! Let’s start off with Ultimate Lasagna. So good!

I’m a working wife and mom of three boys and one of all my guys’ favorite dishes is lasagna. They all get so excited when I tell them it’s on the menu. It’s a miraculous combination of meats, cheeses and pasta and I mean really, what more could you ask for? A meal that takes time and tender lovin’ care to make but it’s SO worth it. Perfect for a Sunday dinner or hosting a casual dinner for friends because it really is something special.

I know that this isn’t an authentic lasagna recipe but it’s not trying to be. Food can be what you make of it quite literally and that’s the beauty of the cooking world. This is just my take on this old world classic. Enjoy!

A few helpful tips for the best results:

I always use a glass baking dish for lasagna. Sometimes the metals can react to the acids in the tomatoes and cause a weird taste. A plus side of glass baking dishes is you can scrub them without fear of damaging the finish. A possible downside is glass can sometimes be heavy. Bottom line, do what you are comfortable with. You don’t have to run out and buy new bakeware, unless of course you want to!

I chose a lean ground beef and a mild Italian sausage for my version but you can use any combo of meats you choose. I would suggest don’t use anything too fatty or you could end up with lasagna soup.

Let’s talk cheese. Don’t skimp on the cheese! There is a huge difference between the “parmesan” that comes in a green tube that sits in the main grocery aisles and freshly grated parmesan! It tastes better and it elevates the flavor profiles in the dishes you make. If you are like me and don’t have the time or desire to grate it yourself, you can usually find it in the refrigerated section of the deli type foods or if your store has a cheese shop inside. As for the mozzarella, I tried it once with fresh mozz and the water content was too high, Not good. Use a good brand of shredded mozz and you should be golden!

Cook the pasta just under and it will be perfect when the lasagna is done. Also allow the lasagna to rest after baking. This way it will firm up a bit making cutting and serving it much easier.

Regular canned tomatoes such as Hunt’s or Red Gold are good for this dish. If you have a grocery store with an International aisle in it, I urge you to explore the Italian section for imported canned tomatoes from Italy. The flavor is so much richer. I usually avoid store brands because it seems to have more stem caps and skins in them but that’s definitely a personal preference.

Now you definitely don’t have to do any of these things and I’m certain if you didn’t it would probably still taste good. All of these tips help the dish come together seamlessly to be a guaranteed great hit!

Ultimate Lasagna

A two meat, four cheese, triple layered masterpiece guaranteed to leave everyone satisfied.

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Prep Time 1 30

Cook Time 1

Total Time 2 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 10 people

Calories 680 kcal

Ingredients

Meat Sauce

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28oz. can Italian style peeled tomatoes, undrained, cut up
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Cheese Mixture

2 large eggs
1 15oz ricotta cheese
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried parsley

Cheese

4 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan

Pasta

1 box dried, lasagna noodles need 12

Instructions

Boil 12 noodles as directed on package; drain and place in cold water. You will only use 9 noodles but make extra in case some tear accidently.
In a large pot, cook beef, sausage, garlic and onions until browned. Drain fat. Add rest of meat sauce ingredients and mix well. Bring up to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 45 minutes or until thickened, stir occasionally.
While meat is cooking get a medium bowl for the cheese mixture. Beat the eggs first, then add all remailing cheese mixture ingredients, mix until well blended. Heat oven to 350*.
Once meat mixture is thickened you will begin layering. Drain noodles well, using paper towels to soak up excess liquid if necessary. In a 13"x9" glass baking dish, spread about 3/4 cup meat sauce on the bottom before placing the first set of 3 noodles side by side. Then add 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of noodles and spread evenly with back of spoon. Next is 1/3 of meat sauce then top with shredded mozzarella until an even layer is made. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese over the mozzarella. Repeat the process two more times ending with mozzarella and parmesan on top.
Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Cover with tin foil and let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Serve with a side salad and some crusty bread for a complete meal!