Carols Lasagna Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oil and butter in a large flame-proof pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, celery, carrots and bay leaves and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 10 minutes.
• Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the plant-based ground beef alternative and break up with a fork if necessary. Add the tomato paste and marinara sauce and cook until bubbly, about 2 minutes.
• Splash in the red wine and cook until it has evaporated. Remove the bay leaves, then pour in the broth and add the nutmeg, 3 pinches of salt and a sprinkle of pepper.
• Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water if dry, until the sauce has darkened and thickened and all the flavors have infused, about 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) with a rack in the center. Grease an 8-by-12-inch broiler-safe baking dish or lasagna pan with butter.
• Spoon a thin layer of sauce into the bottom of the pan. Top with a layer of 3 pasta sheets, followed by a third of the remaining sauce and a third of the mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat the layers with the pasta, sauce and cheeses twice more until you have 3 layers in total.
• Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the lasagna is bubbling and the cheese is melted, about 25 minutes.
• Remove the foil and turn the oven to broil, keeping the lasagna on the center rack. Cook to crisp the top, being careful not to let it burn, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• Let cool for 15 minutes. Then it's ready to eat.

Steps:

• For the Lasagna:
• Heat olive oil in a small pan and saute onions and garlic until onions become translucent, being careful not to burn garlic. Stir in tomato paste and 2 cups water and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and cook over low heat for approximately 15 minutes, or long enough to allow flavors to integrate into a sauce.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lay 1/4 (about 15) of the wontons over the bottom of a lasagna dish, followed by a layer each of yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, fresh tomato, about 1/2 cup tomato sauce, and 1/2 cup of the ricotta. Repeat for a total of 4 layers, finishing on the top layer with the mozzarella. Bake for about 30 minutes covered with foil, and about 10 minutes more uncovered. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes. While the lasagna is in the oven, begin the red pepper coulis.
• Whisk the cornstarch into the chicken broth. Melt the butter over medium heat in a saute pan, and then add the chicken broth mixture, red peppers and garlic. Simmer 30 minutes. Pour hot mixture into blender and blend until smooth to make red pepper sauce.
• Spoon some red pepper coulis onto serving plate and place a square of lasagna on top. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs.

Steps:

• Place sausage and ground beef into a large saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until meat is browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Break the meat apart as it cooks. Stir in mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, Italian herb seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Turn heat to medium-high and cook until mushrooms have given off their juices and bottom of pan is almost dry.
• Pour prepared marinara sauce into meat mixture. Pour water into marinara sauce jar and shake to get all the sauce out of the jar; add to mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer until meat is extremely tender, about 2 hours. Add a little more water if sauce becomes too thick. Skim excess fat from surface of the sauce and season with more salt and black pepper, if needed. Turn off heat.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Beat eggs in a large bowl and stir in ricotta cheese, 8 ounces diced mozzarella cheese, and 2/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Season cheese mixture with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and cayenne pepper; mix in parsley.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse noodles and set aside in a bowl of cold water.
• Spread 1/4 the sauce into the bottom of a 10x15-inch baking pan. Top with 1/3 the noodles and spread 1/2 the ricotta cheese mixture over noodles. Spread 1/4 the meat sauce over the cheese, top with 1/3 the noodles, and spread remaining 1/2 the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Spread 1/4 the meat sauce over the cheese filling. Tap the casserole dish lightly on a sturdy work surface to settle the layers. Arrange last 1/3 the noodles over sauce and spread remaining 1/4 the sauce over the noodles. Dot top of the casserole with 4 ounces diced fresh mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
• Cover casserole with aluminum foil, being sure not to touch the top of the casserole with the foil. Place casserole onto a baking sheet to catch spills.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook until lasagna is golden brown and bubbling, 30 to 35 more minutes. Let set for 20 minutes before cutting into squares.

Steps:

• In a skillet, cook beef and sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
• Add the next seven ingredients.
• Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• In a bowl, combine the eggs, parsley, cottage cheese, ricotta and parmesan.
• Spread 1 cup of meat sauce in an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking dish.
• Layer with 3 noodles, provolone cheese, 2 cups of cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup of mozzarella, three noodles, 2 cups of meat sauce, remaining cottage cheese mixture and 1 cup of mozzarella.
• Top with remaining noodles, meat sauce and mozzarella (dish will be full).
• Cover and bake at 375°F for 50 minutes.
• Uncover; bake 20 minutes longer.
• Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.