Gourmet Lasagna Food

FAMOUS LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Generously salt water; add noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Lay noodles on a baking sheet, separating layers with parchment or waxed paper.
• In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, parsley, and egg. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Begin layering: Place 4 noodles in dish, slightly overlapping. Top with half the meat sauce and 4 more noodles. Top with half the ricotta filling, then half the mozzarella. Repeat the layering process, ending with the mozzarella. Sprinkle top with Parmesan.
• Cover with lightly oiled foil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet; bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake until bubbling and browned, 30 to 40 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

LASAGNA

Steps:

• For the sauce, heat 1/2 cup oil in a large heavy Dutch oven or kettle over low heat. Add the onions, minced garlic and pancetta, and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, until the onions are wilted. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Raise heat slightly, add the wine and cook until it is mostly reduced, about 20 minutes. Crush the tomatoes into the pan, and add their juice. Add the tomato paste and 2 cups lukewarm water. Simmer for 1 hour.
• Combine the sirloin, cheese and eggs in a large bowl. Chop the parsley with the whole garlic until fine, then stir into the beef mixture. Season lavishly with salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix until all the ingredients are well blended. Shape into meatballs and set aside.
• Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dust the meatballs lightly with flour, shaking off excess, and lay into the hot oil. Brown the meatballs on all sides (do not cook through) and transfer to the sauce.
• In a clean skillet, brown the sausages over medium-high heat. Transfer to the sauce. Simmer 1 1/2 hours.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, pecorino Romano, parsley and all but 1 cup of the mozzarella. Season well with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
• Remove the meatballs and sausage from the sauce, and set aside to cool slightly, then chop coarsely. Spoon a thick layer of sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-12-inch lasagna pan. Cover with a layer of noodles. Spoon more sauce on top, then add a third of the meat and a third of the cheese mixture. Repeat for 2 more layers, using all the meat and cheese. Top with a layer of noodles, and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle reserved mozzarella evenly over the top. Bake 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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.

WILD MUSHROOM LASAGNA

Steps:

• Make bechamel:.
• Heat butter in a 2-qt heavy saucepan over moderately low heat until melted, then add flour and cook roux over low heat, whisking 3 minutes.
• Add hot milk in a fast stream, whisking vigorously, and whisk in garlic and salt.
• Bring to a boil, whisking.
• Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes, then remove garlic and add pepper.
• Make mushroom tomato sauce:.
• Pour boiling-hot water over porcini in a bowl and let stand until softened, about 20 minutes.
• Lift out porcini, squeezing excess liquid back into bowl, then rinse to remove any grit.
• Pour soaking liquid through sieve lined with a dampened paper towel into another bowl.
• Chop porcini and add to soaking liquid.
• Cook onion in oil in a 12 inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4-5 minutes, then stir in tomatoes with juice, sugar, porcini with soaking liquid, and 1 TBS basil.
• Simmer, stirring frequently, until tomatoes have broken down into a chunky sauce, about 25 minutes.
• Stir in salt and remaining TBS basil.
• Assemble and bake lasagne:.
• Cook lasagne noodles in a 6-8 quart heavy pot of boiling salted water 8 minutes (Noodles will not be cooked through), then drain and transfer to a bowl of cold water.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Spread 1 cup bechamel on bottom of a buttered 13 x 9" baking pan, reserving remainder for last layer.
• Drain 3 lasagne noodles in 1 layer on a kitchen towel and arrange over bechamel in baking pan.
• Spread pasta in pan evenly with one third of mushroom tomato sauce and sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese.
• Repeat layering of pasta, mushroom tomato sauce, and cheese twice, then cover with last 3 lasagne noodles.
• Spread remaining bechamel on top and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, until lasagne is bubbling and top is browned, 30-35 minutes.
• Let stand at room temperature at least 15 minutes before cutting.
• Note:.
• *You can prepare bechamel and mushroom tomato sauces up to 2 days ahead of time.
• Cool uncovered and then chill separately, covered.
• Bring sauces to room temperature before using.
• *You can assemble lasagne 1 day ahead and chill, covered.
• Bring to room temperature before baking.