Lasagna Alla Paola Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Butter the lasagne pan well and add a very thin layer of meat sauce.
• Add the first layer of lasagne noodles and in order, cover with meat sauce, about 3 ladles besciamella, and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Repeat the same process until you reach the top of the dish. Make sure the lasagne noodles are soaking into the sauce.
• When done layering the ingredients, top the lasagne with a final ladle of meat sauce and some besciamella, add a few thin slices of butter and finish with some grated Parmesan.
• Bake for about 30 minutes.
• Heat a broiler. When your fantastic lasagne alla bolognese is cooked, give it a nice crisp top by broiling it for about 5 minutes.
• Always serve this dish with extra-virgin olive oil and some grated parmesan, to taste.
• Bolognese Sauce: Saute the onion, carrots, and celery in about 5 tablespoons olive oil in a large rondeau until soft. Add the pancetta to the soffritto (onion mixture). Cook on a medium-high flame for about 7 to 10 minutes, then add the meat; break it up well with a wooden spoon. You can jack up the heat a bit, and keep stirring until all the ground meat is browned. Add the red pepper flakes and the parsley and cook for just 1 minute. Add the wine now and cook until the alcohol is completely evaporated, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
• Pulse the tomatoes smooth in a food processor and add them to the meat, season generously with salt and pepper, lower the flame to medium and cook for about 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Finish the sauce by adding the whole milk, stir well and set aside, to cool off.
• Besciamella: Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. This is an important moment, as you have to slowly toast the flour without burning it. This will help you lose the flowery taste.
• Warm up the milk and gradually ladle into the pot with the butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly while bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Season the sauce with freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Butter the lasagne pan well and add a very thin layer of meat sauce.
• Add the first layer of lasagne noodles and in order, cover with meat sauce, about 3 ladles besciamella, and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Repeat the same process until you reach the top of the dish. Make sure the lasagne noodles are soaking into the sauce.
• When done layering the ingredients, top the lasagne with a final ladle of meat sauce and some besciamella, add a few thin slices of butter and finish with some grated Parmesan.
• Bake for about 30 minutes.
• Heat a broiler. When your fantastic lasagne alla bolognese is cooked, give it a nice crisp top by broiling it for about 5 minutes.
• Always serve this dish with extra-virgin olive oil and some grated parmesan, to taste.
• Saute the onion, carrots, and celery in about 5 tablespoons olive oil in a large rondeau until soft. Add the pancetta to the soffritto (onion mixture). Cook on a medium-high flame for about 7 to 10 minutes, then add the meat; break it up well with a wooden spoon. Cook's Note: You can jack up the heat a bit, and keep stirring until all the ground meat is browned. Add the red pepper flakes and the parsley and cook for just 1 minute. Add the wine now and cook until the alcohol is completely evaporated, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
• Pulse the tomatoes smooth in a food processor and add them to the meat, season generously with salt and pepper, lower the flame to medium and cook for about 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Finish the sauce by adding the whole milk, stir well and set aside, to cool off.;
• *Cook's Note: Pelati tomatoes are whole canned tomatoes.
• Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon.
• Warm up the milk and gradually ladle into the pot with the butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly while bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Season the sauce with freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Steps:

• Saute pancetta in a large stockpot over medium-high heat until fat has rendered, 1 to 2 minutes. Add carrot, celery, onion, and oil. Cook and stir until vegetables have softened and onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add beef and pork. Cook, stirring and mashing meat into small crumbles, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes more.
• Stir wine into the stockpot and bring to a boil. Add tomato sauce and stir; pour in 1 cup broth. Reduce heat to low and partially cover the pot to allow steam to escape. Simmer sauce for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Pour 1 more cup of broth into the sauce. Continue simmering until thick, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Add more broth only if absolutely necessary; ragu should drop, not run, off a spoon.
• Start preparing pasta after sauce has been cooking for 1 1/2 hours. Bring water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Add spinach and cover until it returns to a boil. Stir gently and cook until spinach is heated through. Remove from heat, leave covered, and let cool.
• Drain spinach in a mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing it down with a fork to squeeze out as much water and possible; reserve the liquid. Puree spinach in a blender until smooth.
• Sift flour into a bowl. Make a well in the center; add eggs, spinach, and about 1 tablespoon of the reserved liquid. Mix together by hand or using the dough hook of a stand mixer, adding more liquid if needed. Knead until dough becomes a smooth ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Taste the ragu and adjust salt. Remove from heat and add milk; stir well and set aside to cool.
• Divide pasta dough into 4 equal sections. Use a pasta machine, or rolling pin, dusted with flour, to roll pasta into 1/16-inch thick sheets. Lay sheets on clean dish towels to help them dry. Let rest for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Do not allow it to brown or burn. Add flour and whisk constantly until golden. Add 1/2 cup milk, whisking constantly. Repeat with remaining milk. Simmer until bechamel is thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with nutmeg and salt.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Spread a bit of the ragu sauce over the base of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of pasta. Top with a spoonful of sauce and bechamel. Add a spoonful of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Top with another layer of pasta. Add more sauce, bechamel, and cheese. Repeat layers until you reach the top; finish with a layer of pasta, bechamel, and cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese on top has browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Let lasagne rest for 10 or 15 minutes at room temperature before slicing.

Steps:

• Place chicken broth and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a medium saucepan. Cover and heat over low heat.
• Over a low gas flame or under the broiler, roast poblano pepper, turning frequently, until charred, about 5 minutes over flame or 10 minutes under broiler. Remove from heat and cover with a clean kitchen towel until cool enough to handle. Rub off charred skin using a paper towel; remove stem and seeds. Rinse pepper and pat dry; cut into 1/2-inch strips; set aside.
• Place tomatoes and their juices in the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch paella pan over medium-high heat. Season skin side of chicken thighs with salt and place skin-side down in pan; season with salt. Cook until skin is deep golden, about 10 minutes. Turn and cook until chicken is browned and juices run clear, about 10 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a large rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium and add onion and chorizo. Cook, stirring, until chorizo is cooked through and onion begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add reserved poblano pepper and tomato puree. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and oil begins to separate from mixture, about 5 minutes.
• Add rice to pan and cook, stirring, until rice turns milky white in color, 4 to 5 minutes. Add heated chicken broth and stir to combine. Cook, without stirring, until rice has absorbed most of the liquid and is almost cooked through, about 12 minutes.
• Return chicken to pan and nestle into the center of the rice. Arrange shrimp in a ring around the chicken and the mussels in the rice at the edge of the pan. Cover the pan with a piece of parchment paper-lined aluminum foil; transfer to oven and bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove paella from oven and stir in peas, parsley, and tequila, if desired. Using a large serving spoon, gently fluff mussels and shrimp into rice mixture. Re-cover and let stand for 10 minutes until rice and shellfish are cooked through. Serve immediately.