Meatball Lasagna Bake Recipes

Steps:

• Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix pasta sauce and tomatoes. Reserve 1/2 cup tomato mixture. Stir meatballs and stir-fry vegetables into remaining tomato mixture.
• In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg and basil.
• Spoon reserved 1/2 cup tomato mixture over bottom of baking dish. Top with 4 noodles. Top with about half of the ricotta mixture and half of the meatball mixture. Layer with remaining 4 noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and remaining meatball mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; cover baking dish with foil. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Bake covered lasagna 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until bubbly, edges are golden brown and cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Steps:

• Make the meatballs: Mix the sausage and parsley in a bowl with your hands until combined. Dampen your hands and form the meat into 3/4-inch balls (you should have about 40). Heat the olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Working in batches, add the meatballs and cook, turning, until browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.
• Reduce the heat to medium high and add the soppressata, onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and basil and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Stir in the wine, tomato puree and 3 cups water. Reduce the heat to medium low and return the meatballs to the pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, 1 hour, 20 minutes.
• Prepare the lasagna: Whisk the ricotta, eggs and parmesan in a medium bowl. Fill a large bowl with hot water. Working in batches, soak the noodles until just pliable, about 5 minutes. Lay out on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a deep 10-by-13-inch baking dish. Lay 6 noodles in the bottom of the dish so they go partway up the sides and overlap slightly. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, then top with half of the meatballs and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Sprinkle with half each of the mozzarella and pecorino. Repeat the layers (noodles, ricotta mixture, meatballs, sauce, mozzarella and pecorino). Top with the remaining 6 noodles and cover with the remaining sauce.
• Tightly cover the dish with foil and bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until browned, about 15 more minutes. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the first 10 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain. , Crumble meatballs into the sauce. In a small bowl, combine egg and ricotta cheese. Spoon 1 cup of the meat sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with half of the noodles, ricotta mixture, meat sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat layers., Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until golden brown. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Steps:

• Make the sauce: In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and season with 1 tablespoon salt. Stir in the red pepper flakes and sugar, and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, with their juices, and the oregano. Cook for a few minutes over high heat, stirring from time to time. Taste for seasoning, add the basil leaves, and remove from the heat.
• Make the meatballs: Put the beef and veal in a large bowl and spread the meat all over the bottom of the bowl and up the sides a little. (This will help you to distribute the seasonings evenly through the meat.) Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt. Then sprinkle the bread crumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and parsley all over the meat and use your hands to mix the ingredients together. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and garlic. Drizzle the egg mixture over the meat. Mix the meat thoroughly with your hands.
• Test a meatball: Form 1 small meatball (about 1 inch in diameter) with your hands. Heat a splash of the canola oil in a small skillet over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, add the meatball, lower the heat, and cook it over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste for seasoning and texture. If it seems too wet, add some more bread crumbs to the mixture in the bowl. If it is too dry, add a splash of water. Adjust the seasoning of the mixture in the bowl as needed. Roll the remaining meat into balls; you should have about 40 very small meatballs.
• Cook the meatballs: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add half of the remaining canola oil. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, remove the pan from the heat and add half of the meatballs in a single layer, spreading them apart somewhat so they have a chance to brown instead of steaming. Return the pan to high heat and brown the meatballs, turning them so they brown all around, until medium-rare, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to transfer them to a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel to drain. Wipe out the skillet and repeat the process with the remaining canola oil and meatballs.
• Cook the pasta: Bring 6 quarts water to a rolling boil in a large pot over high heat and season with 1/2 cup salt. The pasta water should taste like seawater. Add the lasagna sheets, stirring with a slotted spoon to make sure they do not clump or stick to the bottom, and cook for 4 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water, and drain again. The pasta should still be very firm to the touch. Separate the sheets carefully so they don't stick together.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Assemble the lasagna: Spoon a thin layer of the sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Arrange a layer of pasta sheets over the sauce. Sprinkle one-fourth of the mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmigiano-Reggiano over the pasta, and then add another thin layer of sauce. Dot the surface with about one-third of the meatballs, spacing them evenly. Repeat the layering process two more times. Add a final layer of pasta and top it with the remaining sauce and cheese.
• Bake the lasagna: Cover the dish tightly with foil and put it in the center of the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Then raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and remove the foil. Bake the lasagna until the top browns slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the lasagna from the oven and allow it to cool for 15 minutes or so before serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, mix pasta, frozen meatballs, pasta sauce, water and Italian seasoning. Pour mixture into dish. Cover tightly with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Remove dish from oven; stir mixture thoroughly. Sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake uncovered 5 to 8 minutes longer or until pasta is tender and cheese is melted. Garnish with basil leaves before serving.

Steps:

• Meatballs:: In a bowl, whisk together egg, bread crumbs, 1/4 cup water, oregano, salt and pepper; mix in beef.
• Shape by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls. Bake on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet in a 400°F (200°C) oven until no longer pink inside, about 12 minutes.
• Tomato Sauce: Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; fry onions, garlic, carrot, celery, herb seasoning, and salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and tomatoes (presumably with the juice), breaking up with potato masher or some such thing, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Add the meatballs; simmer until a spoon scraped across bottom of pan leaves a gap that fills in slowly, about 10 minutes.
• Bechamel Sauce: Meanwhile, in separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat; whisk in flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute.
• Add the milk 1/2 cup at a time, whisking constantly. Keep whisking and cooking until bubbly and thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in ricotta, Parmesan, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• In large pot of boiling salted water, cook lasagna noodles until almost tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and chill in cold water; arrange in single layer on a damp tea towel.
• Without picking up any meatballs, spoon 1 cup of the tomato sauce into a 13- x 9-inch (3 L) glass baking dish. Top with one-third of the noodles; spread with one-third of the remaining sauce and meatballs, then half of the bechamel sauce. Starting with the noodles, repeat the layers once.
• Top with remaining noodles; spread with the remaining meatball sauce. Sprinkle with Fontina and Parmesan cheeses.
• Cover with foil; bake in 375°F (190°C) oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Squeeze the meat from the sausages and roll into meatballs - you'll get about four balls from each sausage. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide, deep frying pan or casserole dish. Cook the meatballs in batches, making sure you don't overcrowd the pan, until they're all golden brown. Put them aside on a plate when they're ready.
• Heat the rest of the oil in the pan and add the onion. Cook for 8-10 mins until soft, then stir in the garlic, fennel, oregano and chilli, if using. Stir around for a min or 2, then add the sugar, passata and tomatoes. Swish a little water around the containers to wash out all the tomatoes and add to the pan. Season well and simmer, uncovered, for 30-40 mins over a gentle heat until the sauce thickens and the chopped tomatoes break down.
• Heat the butter in a saucepan, add the bay leaves and let them sizzle in the butter for 1 min, then add the flour. Whisk to make a smooth paste, then add the milk, a little at a time, stirring continuously until it's all incorporated and you have a thick white sauce. Add the nutmeg and some seasoning. Leave over a low heat for 5 mins to allow the bay to infuse, whisking every now and then.
• Keep about 10 meatballs aside and add the rest to the tomato sauce. Spoon half the tomato sauce and meatballs into a baking dish (ours was 25cm x 35cm). Top with half the spinach, the basil and a little parmesan. Pour over about a third of the white sauce, and top with a layer of lasagne sheets, breaking them up to fit the dish if you need to.
• Repeat the layers once more; meatballs and sauce, spinach, basil, parmesan, white sauce, pasta. Pour the remaining white sauce over the lasagne, spreading it to the corners to cover the pasta. Dot with the meatballs you set aside earlier and the mozzarella, then scatter over a generous helping of parmesan and cheddar. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Or if not eating straight away, chill for up to 24 hrs or freeze for two months (defrost in the fridge overnight before cooking).
• Bake the lasagne for 40-50 mins until bubbling and golden with lots of crusty cheesy bits around the edges. Leave to sit for 5-10 mins before serving.

Steps:

• Meatballs:.
• In med bowl, combine the first ten ingredients; toss lightly to mix well. With teaspoon, shape mixture into 30 balls, each 3/4 inch in diameter.
• Sauce:.
• In hot oil in large, heavy skillet, brown meatballs; remove. Add the rest of the onions and garlic; saute 5 minutes.
• Add rest of sauce ingredients, with 1/2 c water and meatballs; stir to mix. Bring to boiling; reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Heat oven to 350°F Grease a 13x9x2 inch baking dish. Cook lasagna as label directs. Drain; rinse in water.
• In a baking dish, layer half the ingredients: Lasagna, mozzarella, ricotta, tomato sauce with meatballs, parmesan cheese. Repeat. Bake 30-35 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Cook pasta to desired tenderness; drain, return to pan and add half of sauce.
• Spoon half of this into prepared dish.
• Combine egg, ricotta cheese, and 1/2 of Parmesan cheese; spread evenly over pasta.
• Top with meatballs and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
• Top with remaining pasta, spreading evenly.
• Pour remaining sauce over pasta, spreading evenly.
• Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.
• Cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour or until bubbly.
• Uncover and bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts.

Steps:

• Mix the grated onion, 1 crushed garlic clove, mince, breadcrumbs, milk, parmesan and parsley in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Mash the mixture together with your hands until combined. Mould the mix into small balls (about walnut-sized) with damp hands. There will be about 20 meatballs.
• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a deep frying pan and fry the meatballs for 6-8 mins until golden brown all over. Fry in batches if you need to - they don't need to be cooked through, just browned on the outside. Set aside on a plate.
• Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in the pan and fry the chopped onion for 5 mins until softened. Add the remaining garlic, fry for another minute, then add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 10 mins until thickened and the tomatoes have broken down. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta for 5 mins less than the pack instructions state, in boiling salted water. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Stir the meatballs into the tomato sauce, adding a splash of water if too thick, and bring to a simmer. Drain the pasta and tip into an ovenproof dish. Pour over the sauce and meatballs and mix well. Stir in most of the mozzarella, then scatter the remaining over the top. Bake for 15-20 mins until the cheese is golden and bubbling, and the top is slightly crisp.

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion and mushrooms with a pinch of salt for 10 mins until soft. Put in a bowl and leave to cool. Add the mince, egg, parmesan, garlic and breadcrumbs, season and mix well with your hands. Roll into 25 small meatballs. Heat another 1 tbsp oil in the pan and fry the meatballs for 5 mins until browned (you'll need to do this in batches). Put on a plate and set aside.
• To make the tomato sauce, heat the remaining oil in the pan and fry the garlic, courgettes, carrots and celery for 10-15 mins until softened, adding a splash of water if needed to prevent it sticking. Stir in the thyme, passata, stock and vinegar and simmer for 20 mins until thickened. Blitz with a hand blender if you prefer a smooth sauce. Season well.
• To make the white sauce, heat the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to make a paste. Slowly add the milk, stirring, then the bay leaves (if using) and cook for a few minutes until thick. Season, add the cauliflower and simmer for 1 min.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Stir the meatballs into the tomato sauce and spoon half into a lasagne dish. Top with half of the pasta sheets, then spoon over half of the white sauce and some mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining meatballs and sauces, then scatter over the rest of the mozzarella and the extra parmesan. Bake for 1 hr until golden.

Steps:

• Slice thawed meatballs in half.
• Set aside.
• Spray 13 x 9 baking dish with oil spray.
• Spread 1 cup sauce evenly in bottom of dish.
• Place 3 uncooked noodles over sauce.
• Set aside.
• Place egg in 1-quart bowl and beat with whisk.
• Add ricotta cheese to egg and stir well to blend.
• Dollop half of ricotta mixture evenly over noodles.
• Top ricotta with half of the meatballs.
• Pour 1 1/2 cups sauce over meatballs and place 3 more uncooked noodles over them.
• Pour 1 1/2 cups of sauce over meatballs.
• Place 3 more noodles over meatballs and pour remaining sauce (about 2 cups) evenly on top, spreading evenly.
• Make sure all noodles are well coated with sauce.
• Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with oil spray, and cover lasagna tightly, oil side down.
• Bake 1 hour at 350ºF.
• Remove dish from oven, uncover.
• Spoon some sauce from edges over exposed top noodles.
• Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses evenly over top.
• Turn oven OFF and place dish, uncovered, in oven for 15 minutes more.
• Serve at once or remove lasana from oven and let rest (up to 15 minutes) until ready to serve.