Three Meat Lasagna Recipes

Steps:

• For the meat sauce: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the garlic and onions, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook until just softened. Add the sausage and ground pork and stir to break up the meat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat starts to color, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the wine and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate the browned bits, until the alcohol smell is cooked off. Add the tomatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, the basil, oregano and bay leaves and season well with freshly ground black pepper. Stir until well mixed and the tomatoes start to simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld, at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• For the lasagna: Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
• Spread 2 cups of the sauce in a thin layer over the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Layer 4 noodles over the sauce, top with 2 cups more sauce and spread it evenly over the noodles. Evenly dollop one-quarter of the ricotta across the sauce, top with one-quarter of the mozzarella and sprinkle evenly with one-quarter of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, for a total of 4 layers.
• Cover with foil and bake until the liquids are bubbling and the noodles are beginning to soften, about 40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown and the noodles are completely tender, about 20 minutes more. Allow to rest 20 minutes before cutting.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Put a bowl of ice water near the stove, and set out a few towels next to the bowl to drain the pasta.
• Generously grease a 10 by 14-inch baking pan using 1 to 2 tablespoons of the butter. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, and parsley together. Rip up the basil leaves and fold them into the ricotta mixture. Season with salt and set aside.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer the pieces of pork, sausage, and meatballs from the Sunday Gravy to a separate bowl. They will be coated with some of the tomato gravy. That's okay. Set the remaining gravy and bowl of meats aside.
• Generously salt the boiling water and cook the lasagne sheets, a few at a time, at a rolling boil for 1 minute. The noodles will be very firm; they will cook further in the oven. Transfer the pasta to the ice water with a long-handled flat skimmer or strainer. As soon as they are cool to the touch- less than a minute- lift them out, shaking off excess water, and lay the noodles out on towels to drain. Repeat the process until all the pasta is cooked.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cover the bottom of the baking pan with a layer of lasagne sheets, allowing the pasta to hang over all sides of the pan. Top with another layer of lasagne sheets cut to fit the bottom of the pan without an overhang.
• Cover the pasta with 1/2 of the reserved meats. Spoon over enough gravy to moisten well, about 1 cup. Sprinkle with a rounded 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano. Cover with another layer of pasta cut to fit without an overhang. Top with 1 cup gravy. Dollop 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the gravy and top with half of the mozzarella and a rounded 1/4 cup of Pecorino Romano. Repeat the pasta and meat layer and the pasta and ricotta mixture layer.
• Cover with a final layer of pasta (you may not have used all the lasagne sheets) cut to fit the inside of the pan without an overhang. Top with the remaining gravy and Pecorino Romano. Bring up the overhang of pasta and fold over the top of the lasagne to enclose the filling. Dot with remaining butter and loosely cover with foil.
• Bake the lasagne for 25 minutes, uncover, and continue to bake until very lightly browned and bubbling hot, an additional 10 to 15 minutes. To keep the top noodles soft without browning, bake the lasagne covered with foil for 35 minutes and uncovered for the last 5 to 10 minutes in the oven. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
• Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add the pork chops and sausages and brown on all sides. Transfer the pork chops and sausages to a plate to make room for the onions. Toss the onions into the pot with the garlic, fennel, and salt. Saute over moderate heat, stirring frequently and scraping up any bits left behind by the pork and sausages, until the onions are soft and golden.
• Put the pork chops and sausages back in the pot with any juices on the plate. Add the tomatoes, water, and tomato paste. Drop in a few cheese rinds or ends if you have any. They are completely optional but give a nice flavor to the sauce. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Gently drop in the meatballs, 1 at a time, shaking the pot a bit to encourage the meatballs to nestle in with the pork and sausage and to make room for the addition of more meatballs. After all the meatballs have been added, continue to simmer, covered, for an hour longer or until the pork chops are very tender.
• To finish the gravy, transfer the pork chops to a cutting board. Remove and discard the bones, chop up the meat, and return it to the sauce. Keep warm over low heat.
• Homemade, fresh pasta is glorious and well worth the effort. Nothing compares to the silky, light, slippery noodles you can produce in your own kitchen. This is a quick recipe. The dough is mixed in a food processor and a pasta machine kneads and rolls the dough. George's whips this up easily, in 5 minutes tops.
• There are minor variations depending on the weather and the moisture in your flour (you may have to knead in an extra tablespoon or 2 of flour) but if you follow these proportions you will have excellent pasta.
• The organic eggs we buy at the farmers' market vary in size. The most reliable way to get an accurate measurement is with a portion scale. The measuring cup method will work, too (crack eggs into a small mixing bowl, whisk to combine, pour the required amount into a liquid measuring cup, and discard or save any excess for another use). In making pasta, skill is developed through repetition. Each batch will be easier than the last and with a little experience exact measurements will be less important.
• Don't fret if the final dimensions of the pasta are different from those specified in the recipe. The strips coming through the rollers of the pasta machine may be longer and/or not as wide. The ends may also narrow rather than being perfectly square. For instance, the edge going through the rollers first will be u-shaped (they can be cut later to square the noodle, if you like). Practice does make a difference in developing a feel for the process. Try to roll the dough as wide as possible--a little less than the width of the rollers, but don't be discouraged if that doesn't happen the first time. Adjust the cutting of the pasta to the strips you have--less wide sheets of lasagna noodles, for instance.
• Put the flour in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. With the motor running pour the eggs through the feed tube. Stop the machine as soon as the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Run the motor again pouring the hot water through the feed tube. Pulse on and off for 10 seconds; stop the motor. The dough should stick together when pressed between your fingertips. If not add another 1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot water and run the motor again. Turn out onto a cool, smooth surface--marble is ideal. Knead for 1 to 2 minutes until the dough is smooth and pliable. If it is sticky, knead in 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. Shape into a ball and cover the dough completely with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for a minimum of 20 minutes or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator. If the dough is refrigerated, remove it from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
• Set up the pasta machine with the rollers at their widest opening.
• Divide the dough in 1/2. If the dough is sticky, dust it with flour. Flatten the dough half with the heel of your hand, and feed it through the rollers of pasta machine. Fold the dough in half lengthwise and feed it through the rollers again. Repeat 20 to 30 times occasionally folding widthwise to fit between the guides. This kneads and smoothes the dough further, creating silky and supple pasta.
• Now you can roll the pasta into thin sheets by feeding it through each successive setting of the pasta machine until you have passed it through the second thinnest opening (dust with just enough flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking). This process is done without folding. If the sheet of pasta becomes cumbersomely long cut it crosswise into 2 pieces to make it more manageable. Repeat with the second half of the dough. Lay the dough out on a barely floured counter or clean, dry kitchen towels. Each half of dough will yield 2 strips of pasta roughly measuring 3 feet by 4 inches.
• Try to make lasagna noodles as wide as your pasta machine allows (4 to 5-inches); cut the lengths the most appropriate size for the pan you plan to use--anywhere from 8 to 12-inches long (longer if you like, or shorter if smaller noodles are easier for you to handle. Lasagna noodles can be cut and patched together in assembly). Keep in mind the pasta will grow, or expand, when it boils, increasing its dimensions.
• After you have cut the noodles, you can cook them right away or lay them out in a single layer without touching on a lightly floured surface or on clean, dry kitchen towels until ready to cook (flour dusted or towel lined baking trays work well if you don't have counter) If you are not using the pasta the same day, allow it to dry completely, then transfer to long, shallow containers with lids. You can keep it in a cool, dry place for 1 week.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and saute, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the onion, celery and carrots and continue to cook for 6-7 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add the meats and cook, stirring frequently, until deep brown in color. Add the wine to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup stock to the saucepan and simmer, 10 minutes, or until totally evaporated. Repeat with another 1/2 cup stock. Stir in the last 1/2 cup stock and milk. Partially cover the pot and cook for 1 hour, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes, crushing them as they go into the pot. Cook uncovered on medium-low heat for another 45 minutes so the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a large baking dish, spread a thin layer of the bechamel sauce. Add a layer of pasta, then a layer of bechamel and then a layer of rag. Repeat until you have used all of your pasta. On the top layer of pasta, spread the bechamel sauce and top with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Cover with Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes until golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, add the lasagna noodles a few at a time, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Remove the noodles to a plate.
• Place the ground beef into a skillet over medium heat, add the garlic, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and black pepper to the skillet. Cook the meat, chopping it into small chunks as it cooks, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Drain excess grease.
• In a bowl, mix the cottage cheese, eggs, and Parmesan cheese until thoroughly combined.
• Place 4 noodles side by side into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan; top with a layer of the tomato-basil sauce, a layer of ground beef mixture, and a layer of the cottage cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice more, ending with a layer of sauce; sprinkle top with the mozzarella cheese. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese has begun to brown, about 10 more minutes. Allow to stand at least 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• FOR SAUCE:
• Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and garlic; sauté until softened, about 12 minutes. Add beef and sausages to pan; sauté until cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer until flavors blend and sauce measures about 5 cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Cool.
• FOR LASAGNA:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Drain; cover with cold water.
• Combine ricotta and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Mix in spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs.
• Drain pasta and pat dry. Spread 1/2 cup sauce over bottom of 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Place 5 noodles over sauce, overlapping to fit. Spread half of ricotta-spinach mixture evenly over noodles. Sprinkle 2 cups mozzarella cheese evenly over ricotta-spinach mixture. Spoon 1 1/2 cups sauce over cheese, spreading with spatula to cover (sauce will be thick). Repeat layering with 5 noodles, remaining ricotta-spinach mixture, 2 cups mozzarella and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Arrange remaining 5 noodles over sauce. Spread remaining sauce over noodles. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese evenly over lasagna. (Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.) Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake lasagna 40 minutes; uncover and bake until hot and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Brown the meat, and drain.
• Add both cans of sauce to the meat mixture, and heat on low, covered, making sure to stir every few minutes.
• While the sauce is heating, boil the noodles according to package directions, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• When the noodles are ready, drain them and run cold water over them so that they are not too hot to touch.
• Put a little bit of the meat sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.
• Do 2 layers of: 4 noodles, meat sauce, parmesan cheese, mozza-cheddar cheese.
• Final layer is 4 noodles, meat sauce, and parmesan cheese (mozza-cheddar layer gets added later, so it won't burn).
• Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes.
• Take out of the oven and put a final layer of mozza-cheddar cheese on top; bake another 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and just starting to brown, don't let it get overdone.
• Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

Steps:

• Cook onion in olive oil in a large skillet until tender, several minutes.
• Add garlic, ground beef, italian sausage, basil, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper to pan and cook until meat is thoroughly browned and breaking up lumps as it cooks.
• Drain fat.
• Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, and brown sugar to pan, mixing well.
• Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles in plenty of boiling salted water for ten minutes, then drain.
• In a mixing bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, eggs, parmesan, salt, pepper, and parsley until smooth.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• In a large lasagna baking pan, place 1/3-1/2 of meat sauce in bottom of pan (just enough to cover).
• On top of the meat sauce in pan, layer the lasagna as follows: 4 noodles (to cover pan), 8 ounces shredded mozzarella, 4 ounces sliced pepperoni, 4 more noodles, ricotta cheese mixture, 4 more noodles, remaining meat sauce mixture, 8 ounces mozzarella, 4 ounces of pepperoni, and 1/4 cup parmesan.
• If any corners of noodles try to stick up past the sauce in the pan, tuck them under the sauce.
• Bake at 375F for 30-40 minutes or until heated through and cheese is golden and bubbly.
• Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Steps:

• Chop the garlic.
• Grind the garlic, peppercorns, salt, thyme, basil, and oregano together with a mortar and pestle.
• Start frying these ground ingredients in a large frying pan with a little oil. Fry for a few seconds.
• Add the ground beef.
• Now boil some water. Add the lasagna noodles.
• Chop the mushrooms, onions, and any vegetables up. Add to the frying meat.
• When the beef is fully cooked, Add the spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Continue cooking until the vegetables are cooked.
• When the lasagne noodles are cooked, preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Grate the mozzarella, crumble the ricotta and parmesan, and mix the 3 cheeses together.
• In a lasagne pan, layer the ingredients, starting with sauce, then noodles, then cheese.
• Put 3 layers of noodles, and then more sauce on the top, and finally add some more parmesan to the top.
• Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Cook Lasagna noodles according to package cooking time, drain and separate.
• Combine cooked meat and 1-1/2 jars sauce in a large saucepan.
• Combine eggs, ricotta, 3-1/2 cups mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses in a large bowl.
• Spray or grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or two 8x8-inch baking dishes with cooking spray. Spread 3/4 cup sauce over the bottom of the baking dish.
• Place 3-4 Lasagna noodles over the bottom, slightly overlapping. Spread half of the cheese mixture over noodles and cover with 1/2 of the meat sauce. Repeat layers. Cover last layer with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
• OAMC DIRECTIONS.
• Assemble lasagna in a foil lined baking dish and then place in freezer. No prior baking needed. Freeze until firm enough to remove from baking dish. Cover completely with another layer of heavy foil, then place in a gallon sized freezer bag and label.
• To Serve: Place frozen foil wrapped lasagna back into baking dish originally used. Thaw and bake covered at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. To bake from the frozen stage, and 30 minutes to total baking time.

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft, but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Add the red wine, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, tomato juice and spices and mix well. Add vegetables and mix to combine. Heat through and add extra wine until desired consistency. You can make this ahead of time and leave it to cool before assembling the lasagna.
• In a large bowl, combine ricotta, first portion of mozzarella cheese, Parmesan and eggs.
• Spray a 19X13 lasagna pan with non-stick spray. Use a bit of the sauce liquid on the bottom of the pan to keep the first layer of noodles from sticking. Put down a layer of lasagna noodles, then top with globs of cheese mixture and about one half of the meat mixture. Repeat and top with a third layer of lasagna noodles. Try to have a bit of the meat sauce left to put on the top layer just to keep it moist. Top with second batch of mozzarella, or any shredded cheese you have on hand.
• Pre-heat oven to 375°F Bake for 30 minutes, covered with foil. Try not to press the foil down too much, as the cheese will stick when it starts to bubble. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let stand for approximately 10 minutes before cutting.