Rachael Ray Lasagna Recipe With Ricotta Food

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
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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.

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.

NOT-SAGNA PASTA TOSS

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 in.
• 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.

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.

MEXICAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - twice around the pan. Add chicken and season with chili powder, cumin, and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce or stewed or fire roasted tomatoes. Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt, to your taste.
• Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon oil. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese again. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with the scallions and serve.

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.

AWESOME LASAGNA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Brown sausage and beef until cooked through, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain off any fat.
• Add onion, carrot and garlic. Cook until vegetables are soft.
• Add chicken stock and deglaze pan. Then add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, bay leaf and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil then turn down and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Cook pasta as directed in salted water until just al dente.(about 8 minutes) Drain. Spread pasta into a 9x13" pan.
• Remove bay leaf from sauce and stir in parsley. Combine sauce with pasta.
• Drop spoonfuls of ricotta into pasta and stir until combined. Sprinkle with cheeses.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees until cheese is browned and sauce in bubbley.

RACHAEL RAY'S PASTA WITH BROCCOLI AND SAUSAGE W/RICOTTA SURPRISE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.
• Heads up, you will need to use about 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking liquid for the sauce before you drain the pasta.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, lemon zest, salt, and a lot of freshly ground black pepper.
• Reserve the ricotta mixture on the countertop and let it come up to room temperature The flavors of the cheese and lemon will develop as the cheese warms up.
• Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO.
• Add the sausage and break it up with the back of a wooden spoon into a small bite-size pieces.
• Really go at breaking the meat up; it will make a difference in the end.
• Cook the meat until brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• While the sausage is browning, prepare the broccoli.
• Cut the broccoli tops into small florets. Remove the fibrous outer layer of the stem (just square it off using your knife), then thinly slice the tender center portion of the stem.
• Once the sausage is brown, remove it to a paper-towel-lined plate.
• Return the skillet to the heat and add all of the broccoli and the chopped onion. Spread the veggies out in an even layer in the pan, season with some salt and pepper, and let the broccoli brown up a bit before stirring, about 2 minutes.
• Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and continue to cook 2 minutes more.
• Add the sausage back to the skillet along with the chicken stock.
• Ladle in some cooking water from the pasta and bring up to a simmer.
• Cook until the broccoli is tender and the liquids have reduced slightly, about 2 minutes.
• Add the lemon juice, parsley, and cooked, well-drained pasta.
• Toss to combine and simmer 1 last minute to allow the pasta to soak in the sauce and flavors.
• Turn the heat off, add the grated cheese, and toss to combine.
• To serve, place a large dollop of the pepper-lemon-ricotta mixture into each of 4 shallow bowls and bury it with the hot pasta.
• Once you are at the table, mix it up with a fork to distribute the ricotta cheese. Serve with extra grated cheese.

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.

SAUSAGE AND MUSHROOM POLENTA LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Preheat a large skillet over med-high heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil and butter.
• When the butter has melted, add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
• While the sausage is starting to brown, cut the portobello mushroom in half and then thinly slice and add to the sausage.
• Chop and add to the pan as you go-the onion, garlic, and rosemary.
• Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
• Once everything is in the pan, the sausage is browned, and the mushrooms and onions have wilted, add in the chicken stock and lemon juice.
• Continue to cook over high heat until the liquids have evaporated-2 to 3 minutes.
• While the sausage and mushrooms are cooking down in the liquid-combine the ricotta cheese, egg, lemon zest, Parmigiano, and bread crumbs in a bowl.
• Brush an 8-inch springform pan or an 8x8 inch baking dish with a little olive oil; place 7 disks of the polenta on the bottom of the dish.
• If they overlap a little, that is fine (it will vary depending on what kind of dish you are using).
• Divide the sausage and mushroom mixture into 3 even portions; do the same with the ricotta mixture.
• Using the back of a spoon, spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on top of the polenta (don't make yourself crazy doing this; just mush it out over the polenta).
• Top the ricotta with 1/3 of the sausage mixture.
• Repeat layers 2 more times, starting with polenta and finishing with sausage mixture.
• Sprinkle the top with mozzarella.
• Cover the baking dish with foil; place in oven; bake for 15-18 minutes.
• To make sure it is cooked through, insert a knife into the center of the dish, wait a few seconds, then remove it.
• Touch the knife to your fingertips and if it is hot, the lasagna is done.
• Remove from the springform and serve.
• *Sweet and Savory Polenta "Lasagna"-add ½ cup golden raisins and ½ cup pine nuts at the same time you add the chicken broth and lemon juice to the sausage.
• *Sausage, Mushroom, and Olive Polenta-add 4 rounded tablespoons black olive or green olive tapenade to the ricotta cheese along with the egg, lemon zest, parmigiano, and bread crumbs.
• *Sausage, Mushroom, and Pesto Polenta-add 4 tablespoons quality pesto to the ricotta along with the egg, lemon zest, parmigiano, and bread crumbs.
• *Super Mushroom Polenta-omit sweet Italian sausage, swap dry white wine for the chicken broth, add 2 additional portobello mushrooms and 1 jarred roasted red pepper, drained and chopped; add the 2 extra mushrooms along with the original mushroom quantity; add the roasted red pepper to the ricotta mixture.