Lasagna
Sue clipped this recipe from the Des Moines Register in April of 2004. Several members of our family have called this "the best lasagna they have ever had."
1 9-ounce package no-boil, flat, dried lasagna sheets (try Barilla)
2 28-ounce jars good quality tomato-based pasta sauce (or make the Bolognese Meat Sauce from the recipe provided below) [Note from Sue: I used Prego Traditional sauce]
16 ounces (4 cups) grated part-skim mozzarella
1 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino Romano
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FOR THE BECHAMEL SAUCE
6 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups milk, heated until steaming (in the microwave is fine, give it 5 minutes on high power) [Note from Sue: I found that 4 minutes worked best with our microwave]
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 12-ounce bag fresh spinach, stems removed, coarsely chopped [Note: Sue indicated that this is time-consuming, and could be done a day ahead of preparation]
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FOR THE SAUSAGE
1 pound loose Italian sausage, hot or sweet [Note from Sue: I used Graziano's sausage]
1 each green and red bell peppers, seeded, chopped or diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Olive oil, if needed
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For the bechamel sauce: [Note from Sue: Be sure that milk is hot before starting this sauce] In large saucepan, melt butter until bubbly (don't let it brown), whisk in flour, salt and pepper to make a paste. Whisk in hot milk all at once and cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in nutmeg, Parmesan and spinach. Set aside.
For the sausage: In large skillet crumble and brown sausage over medium to medium-high heat; saute pepper and garlic with sausage, stirring, until sausage is cooked through and peppers are tender, about 7-8 minutes. (If sausage is lean and renders no fat, add a little olive oil to the pan, a teaspoon at a time, to saute peppers). Remove from heat and set aside.
To assemble: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish with vegetable cooking spray. [Note from Sue: Use a larger baking dish. I used a 10 1/2-by-14 1/2-by-3-inch dish.]
Layer in the following order:
1. Spread 2 cups tomato sauce (or Bolognese meat sauce) in bottom of dish, cover with 4 pasta sheets, making sure they do not touch one another. [Note from Sue: I used 5 pasta sheets for each of the three layers, and didn't worry whether the sheets touched each other.]
2. Spread half [Note: about two cups] of bechamel over noodles, half of sausage-pepper mixture, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (or the meat sauce).
3. Layer 4 more noodles, the remaining bechamel, sausage, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (or the meat sauce).
4. Lay on 4 more noodles, the remaining tomato sauce (or the meat sauce) and remaining mozzarella; top with the Parmesan or pecorino Romano.
Cover dish with heavy foil, tenting slightly to prevent foil from touching top layer; bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 20 minutes longer, until top is bubbling and golden. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. [Note from Sue: I found that I needed to increase both the 20-minute cooking times to closer to 30 minutes in my oven, and let it stand 20 minutes, while I heated bread in the oven, before cutting and serving.] Serves 10 generously.
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Bolognese Meat Sauce
[Note from Sue: This meat sauce recipe accompanied the lasagna recipe in the newspaper. I have not tried the meat sauce recipe.]
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup minced carrot
2 1/2 pounds ground chuck (85 percent lean beef, or use a mixture of ground beef, veal and pork)
Salt
3 cups dry white wine
2 cups light cream (half-and-half) or whole milk
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups canned Italian tomatoes, chopped or crushed
In very large heavy saucepan (or Dutch oven) heat butter and oil; saute onion just until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add celery and carrot and continue to saute for 2-3 minutes.
Crumble meat into pan; add 2 teaspoons salt. Cook and stir only until beef loses its red color; do not let it brown.
Add wine, turn heat up to medium high and cook, stirring occasionally, until all wine has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Turn heat down to medium, add cream and nutmeg, cook and stir until liquid has reduced by half, about 20-30 minutes.
Add tomatoes and bring to a boil; lower heat and barely simmer, partially covered, for about 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. Taste for salt and correct seasoning, as desired. Use for lasagna or cover and refrigerate for up to three days, freeze for up to a month. Makes about 7 cups.
1 9-ounce package no-boil, flat, dried lasagna sheets (try Barilla)
2 28-ounce jars good quality tomato-based pasta sauce (or make the Bolognese Meat Sauce from the recipe provided below) [Note from Sue: I used Prego Traditional sauce]
16 ounces (4 cups) grated part-skim mozzarella
1 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino Romano
-------------------------------------------------
FOR THE BECHAMEL SAUCE
6 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups milk, heated until steaming (in the microwave is fine, give it 5 minutes on high power) [Note from Sue: I found that 4 minutes worked best with our microwave]
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 12-ounce bag fresh spinach, stems removed, coarsely chopped [Note: Sue indicated that this is time-consuming, and could be done a day ahead of preparation]
-------------------------------------------------
FOR THE SAUSAGE
1 pound loose Italian sausage, hot or sweet [Note from Sue: I used Graziano's sausage]
1 each green and red bell peppers, seeded, chopped or diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Olive oil, if needed
---------------------------------------------------
For the bechamel sauce: [Note from Sue: Be sure that milk is hot before starting this sauce] In large saucepan, melt butter until bubbly (don't let it brown), whisk in flour, salt and pepper to make a paste. Whisk in hot milk all at once and cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in nutmeg, Parmesan and spinach. Set aside.
For the sausage: In large skillet crumble and brown sausage over medium to medium-high heat; saute pepper and garlic with sausage, stirring, until sausage is cooked through and peppers are tender, about 7-8 minutes. (If sausage is lean and renders no fat, add a little olive oil to the pan, a teaspoon at a time, to saute peppers). Remove from heat and set aside.
To assemble: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish with vegetable cooking spray. [Note from Sue: Use a larger baking dish. I used a 10 1/2-by-14 1/2-by-3-inch dish.]
Layer in the following order:
1. Spread 2 cups tomato sauce (or Bolognese meat sauce) in bottom of dish, cover with 4 pasta sheets, making sure they do not touch one another. [Note from Sue: I used 5 pasta sheets for each of the three layers, and didn't worry whether the sheets touched each other.]
2. Spread half [Note: about two cups] of bechamel over noodles, half of sausage-pepper mixture, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (or the meat sauce).
3. Layer 4 more noodles, the remaining bechamel, sausage, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (or the meat sauce).
4. Lay on 4 more noodles, the remaining tomato sauce (or the meat sauce) and remaining mozzarella; top with the Parmesan or pecorino Romano.
Cover dish with heavy foil, tenting slightly to prevent foil from touching top layer; bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 20 minutes longer, until top is bubbling and golden. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. [Note from Sue: I found that I needed to increase both the 20-minute cooking times to closer to 30 minutes in my oven, and let it stand 20 minutes, while I heated bread in the oven, before cutting and serving.] Serves 10 generously.
--------------------------------------------------------
Bolognese Meat Sauce
[Note from Sue: This meat sauce recipe accompanied the lasagna recipe in the newspaper. I have not tried the meat sauce recipe.]
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup minced carrot
2 1/2 pounds ground chuck (85 percent lean beef, or use a mixture of ground beef, veal and pork)
Salt
3 cups dry white wine
2 cups light cream (half-and-half) or whole milk
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups canned Italian tomatoes, chopped or crushed
In very large heavy saucepan (or Dutch oven) heat butter and oil; saute onion just until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add celery and carrot and continue to saute for 2-3 minutes.
Crumble meat into pan; add 2 teaspoons salt. Cook and stir only until beef loses its red color; do not let it brown.
Add wine, turn heat up to medium high and cook, stirring occasionally, until all wine has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Turn heat down to medium, add cream and nutmeg, cook and stir until liquid has reduced by half, about 20-30 minutes.
Add tomatoes and bring to a boil; lower heat and barely simmer, partially covered, for about 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. Taste for salt and correct seasoning, as desired. Use for lasagna or cover and refrigerate for up to three days, freeze for up to a month. Makes about 7 cups.