I made this often during engagement and the early throes of marriage, along with plump meatballs, West-African chicken stews, homemade salad dressings, inspired punches and brownies with more added ingredients than the original boxed contents.
This can also be adapted for other baked pasta dishes. Mix cooked pasta with cheese mixture and layer in a similar way.
Makes 6-8 very large servings
1/2 kilo or 1 pound ground beef and pinch baking soda or sodium bicarbonate. Do not use baking powder.
2 pinches salt, 1/4 teaspoon
1 tablespoon or 30 ml olive oil, if using lean meat
Thyme, oregano, allspice, black pepper for meat seasoning
3 jars or cans of pasta tomato sauce, 28 ounces or 796 ml each or use cans of crushed tomatoes. Save at least 1/2 can or jar for topping.
2 cloves minced garlic
Leaves from 8 fresh parsley sprigs, finely chopped. Save a little parsley for topping.
2 eggs
2 ricotta cheese containers, totaling about 32 ounces or 950 ml or use 1/2 ricotta and 1/2 cottage cheese
1 bag shredded Parmesan cheese, 200g
2 bags shredded whole milk (if available) mozzarella cheese, 400g. Save 1 packet for layering and for topping.
Fresh pasta sheets, enough for 3 layers, or one dry box lasagne noodles at least 1 pound, 454g. Cook noodles until firm, cool, and set aside in a little cold water.
Directions:
Cook ground meat in a large skillet with oil, if needed, herbs and spices, salt, and a pinch of baking soda to speed up meat browning. Cook until no longer pink and some meat and the pan get crusty brown. Add tomato sauce and set aside.
Next, mix most of parsley, all garlic, both eggs and all cheeses except for 1 packet of mozzarella in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
Set up a station of noodles, meat sauce and cheese mixture.
Layer 1: 1/2 meat sauce
Layer 2: pasta
Layer 3: 1/2 cheese mixture
Layer 4: a small sprinkle mozzarella cheese
Layer 5: pasta
Layer 6: 1/3 meat sauce
Layer 7: 1/2 cheese mixture
Layer 8: a small sprinkle mozzarella cheese
Layer 9: pasta
Next, spread any remaining meat sauce plus tomato sauce on top of pasta. Top with parsley and the rest of mozzarella cheese.
Bake, covered loosely with oiled aluminum foil at 350 degrees for one hour. If your oven runs hot, check after 45 minutes. When done, it should be bubbly and no longer watery. Turn off oven and remove foil. Leave in oven up to fifteen minutes. Then take out of oven and cover loosely with foil again for at least 20 minutes to allow lasagne to cool and set before serving.
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