Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Today's double post deals with one of my favorites, lasagna, and includes Italian Sausage Lasagna and Crock Pot Lasagna. Enjoy!
SUPREME PIZZA LASAGNA
This is from Ree Drummond of the Food Network's The Pioneer Woman.
Active Time: 55 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes; Yield: 12 servings; Level: Intermediate
To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/supreme-pizza-lasagna-2316523.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds Italian sausage
1 pound ground beef
12 ounces sliced pepperoni
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green bell peppers, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 large onion, diced
One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
One 15-ounce can tomato paste
1/4 cup prepared pesto
1/3 cup finely minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup sliced black olives
30 ounces whole-milk ricotta
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
8 lasagna noodles, cooked until al dente
24 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into thin slices
Directions
Drizzle the olive oil into a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, ground beef and pepperoni and stir, breaking the meat up as it begins to cook. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until brown, and then remove the meat to a plate.
Add the mushrooms, garlic, bell peppers and onions to the pot and saute until the mushrooms have softened and the others have some color. Add the meat back in along with the tomatoes, tomato paste, pesto, half the parsley, 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper and the crushed red pepper flakes. Stir, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Add the black olives and stir.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the cheese mixture: Combine the ricotta and eggs in a large bowl. Add the Parmesan, the rest of the parsley and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir the mixture until totally combined.
To assemble the lasagna: Overlap 4 lasagna noodles in the bottom of a large rectangular baking dish. Spoon half the cheese mixture over the noodles and smooth it out into a flat layer. Lay half of the mozzarella slices on top followed by half of the meat sauce. Repeat these layers once more and top with some extra Parmesan. Bake until heated through and bubbly on the top, 40 to 45 minutes.
Cook’s Note
The lasagna can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge, unbaked. It can also be frozen, unbaked. Just thaw before you're ready to bake it.
LASAGNA
This comes from Regina Schrambling in The New York Times cooking enewletter. Regina wrote, "In 2001, Regina Schrambling went on a week long odyssey in search of the ultimate lasagna recipe. She tested several, and finally found her ideal in a mash-up of recipes from Giuliano Bugialli and Elodia Rigante, both Italian cookbook authors.
"'If there were central casting for casseroles, this one deserved the leading role. But its beauty was more than cheese deep. This was the best lasagna I had ever eaten. The sauce was intensely flavored, the cheeses melted into creaminess as if they were bechamel, the meat was just chunky enough, and the noodles put up no resistance to the fork. Most important, the balance of pasta and sauce was positively Italian. At last I could understand why my neighbor Geoff had told me, as I dragged home more bags in our elevator, that all-day lasagna is the only kind worth making.'"
Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 4 hours
This can be featured in "The Noodle and I: A Face-Off at the Oven", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9530-lasagna.
Ingredients
For the sauce:
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium red onions, finely diced
2 large cloves minced garlic
8 ounces pancetta, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good red wine, preferably Italian
2 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 pound ground sirloin
1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano
2 eggs
10 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves only, washed and dried
2 large whole cloves garlic
1/2 cup flour
1 pound Italian sausage, a mix of hot and sweet
For the lasagna:
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
2 extra-large eggs
2 cups freshly grated pecorino Romano
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 pound mozzarella, grated
16 sheets fresh lasagna noodles, preferably Antica Pasteria
Preparation
For the sauce, heat 1/2 cup oil in a large heavy Dutch oven or kettle over low heat. Add the onions, minced garlic and pancetta, and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, until the onions are wilted. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Raise heat slightly, add the wine and cook until it is mostly reduced, about 20 minutes. Crush the tomatoes into the pan, and add their juice. Add the tomato paste and 2 cups lukewarm water. Simmer for 1 hour.
Combine the sirloin, cheese and eggs in a large bowl. Chop the parsley with the whole garlic until fine, then stir into the beef mixture. Season lavishly with salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix until all the ingredients are well blended. Shape into meatballs and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dust the meatballs lightly with flour, shaking off excess, and lay into the hot oil. Brown the meatballs on all sides (do not cook through) and transfer to the sauce.
In a clean skillet, brown the sausages over medium-high heat. Transfer to the sauce. Simmer 1 1/2 hours.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, pecorino Romano, parsley and all but 1 cup of the mozzarella. Season well with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
Remove the meatballs and sausage from the sauce, and set aside to cool slightly, then chop coarsely. Spoon a thick layer of sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-12-inch lasagna pan. Cover with a layer of noodles. Spoon more sauce on top, then add a third of the meat and a third of the cheese mixture. Repeat for 2 more layers, using all the meat and cheese. Top with a layer of noodles, and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle reserved mozzarella evenly over the top. Bake 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
MAKE-AHEAD CREAMY SPINACH LASAGNA
This comes from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Whether you have a dinner party on the horizon or just need to plan out a week’s worth of meals, this creamy, veggie-filled lasagna deserves a spot in your freezer. Its flavor is downright impressive, but only you need to know how simple it is to prepare!"
Prep Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes; Servings: 8
To view this online, go to https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/make-ahead-creamy-spinach-lasagna/7beea4bf-5309-4e52-83b3-d204245db470.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
2 cups Progresso™ vegetable broth (from 32-oz carton)
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 packages (8 oz each) sliced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 bags (5 oz each) baby spinach
1 container (15 oz) whole-milk ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (12 oz)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (3 oz)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
12 oven-ready no-boil lasagna noodles
Directions
Heat oven to 400°F. In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour with whisk; cook and stir 2 minutes. Slowly beat in broth, whipping cream, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and the nutmeg with whisk. Increase heat to medium-high; heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Remove from heat.
In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add mushrooms; cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned and any liquid from mushrooms has evaporated. Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Gradually add spinach, stirring constantly, and cook until wilted. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 1/4 cups of the cream sauce. Reserve remaining sauce.
In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, the Parmesan cheese, egg, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper.
To assemble: Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon 3/4 cup of the sauce into bottom of baking dish. Top with 3 of the lasagna noodles in single layer. Evenly top with 1 cup of the cheese filling and 1 1/3 cups of the spinach mixture. Repeat layers twice, starting with noodles and ending with spinach mixture. For final layer, top with 3 noodles; pour remaining 3/4 cup sauce over top, and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil; bake 20 minutes. Remove foil; bake 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through (165°F in center), bubbly and lightly browned. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.
To freeze: Line 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with foil, making sure foil is as smooth as possible, as wrinkled foil may get stuck in sauce during freezing process. Leave enough overhang to be able to lift assembled lasagna out of dish.
Spray foil with cooking spray. Cover and refrigerate sauce and spinach mixture 30 to 40 minutes before making cheese filling and assembling lasagna. Stir 2 1/4 cups cream sauce into spinach mixture. Assemble lasagna in dish as directed; cover tightly with another layer of foil. Freeze unbaked lasagna about 8 hours or until completely frozen. Transfer frozen lasagna to labeled 2-gallon resealable freezer plastic bag. Remove air; seal and freeze up to three months. To bake: Remove foil, and transfer to 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Cover and thaw in refrigerator until completely thawed, at least 48 hours. Heat oven to 400°F. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes; remove foil. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through (165°F in center), bubbly and lightly browned. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.
Expert Tips
We used white button mushrooms for this recipe, but if you want a stronger mushroom flavor, try cremini mushrooms.
Using oven-ready lasagna noodles saves time and steps in preparing this dish. You can find them with the other dried pastas in the supermarket.
ITALIAN SAUSAGE LASAGNA
This comes from the Betty Crocker e-newsletter. If you're looking for more recipes, it's a good place to start.
This recipe starts off, "No need to buy frozen lasagna when you have this much-loved recipe on hand."
Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes; Makes 8 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/italian-sausage-lasagna/.
Ingredients
1 lb bulk Italian pork sausage
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups Muir Glen™ organic diced tomatoes (from 28-oz can), undrained
1 can (15 oz) Muir Glen™ organic tomato sauce
12 uncooked lasagna noodles (12 oz)
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese or small-curd cottage cheese (2 cups)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
In 10-inch skillet, cook sausage, onion and garlic over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, sugar, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered about 45 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Heat oven to 350°F. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package.
In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and the oregano.
Spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture in ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Top with 4 noodles. Spread 1 cup of the cheese mixture over noodles; spread with 1 cup of the sauce mixture. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat with 4 noodles, the remaining cheese mixture, 1 cup of the sauce mixture and 2/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining noodles and sauce mixture. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
Cover; bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake about 15 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.
Expert Tips
Leftover lasagna freezes well. Wrap individual portions tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap again with aluminum foil. You need only unwrap and thoroughly reheat to enjoy an instant lasagna fix!
Put this recipe together lickety-split using 5 cups (40 ounces) of your favorite regular (do not use thick or extra-thick varieties) spaghetti sauce with meat instead of the first eight ingredients.
If your family likes lasagna with a milder flavor, use ground beef instead of the bulk Italian sausage.
CLASSIC LASAGNA
This comes Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Alison wrote, “While not a 30-minute meal, this lasagna is quicker and more straightforward than most. If you're in a real time crunch, use your favorite jarred red sauce. For greater success with the lasagna noodles, which have a tendency to stick together, boil them in the largest pot possible or work in batches – they need as much water as possible to move freely so they don’t clump. This lasagna can be assembled, baked and refrigerated up to five days ahead, or frozen up to a month ahead if wrapped tightly.”
Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: About 2 hours.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage, sweet or hot (optional), casings removed
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
For the Assembly:
Kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella, grated or shredded into small pieces
16 ounces (2 cups) whole milk ricotta
1 cup coarsely grated Parmesan, plus more for sprinkling on top (optional)
1/4 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound dried lasagna noodles (not the no-boil variety)
Olive oil
Preparation
Make the sauce: Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add sausage, if using, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s starting to brown but not yet crisp, about 5 minutes.
Add onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is totally softened and translucent (without letting it brown), 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring until the tomato paste has turned a deeper brick red color, tinting the oil and onions a fiery orange color, about 2 minutes.
Using your hands, crush the whole tomatoes into smaller, bite-size pieces and add them and the crushed tomatoes, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Fill one of the tomato cans halfway with water and add it to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato sauce has thickened and flavors have come together, 20 to 30 minutes.
Make the lasagna: Heat oven to 375 degrees and set a large pot of salted water to boil.
Set aside 1 cup mozzarella. In a medium bowl, combine remaining mozzarella, ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan and cream; season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Cook lasagna noodles in the large pot of salted boiling water until just softened (before they are even aldente), about 4 minutes. Drain and separate any noodles that are trying to stick together, slicking them with a bit of olive oil to prevent them from sticking further.
Spoon a bit of sauce on the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish and top with a layer of noodles, avoiding any heavy overlap.
Top with about 1 1/4 cups of sauce, and dollop 1/4 of the cheese mixture over. Top with another layer of noodles and repeat three more times, ending with the last of the noodles (depending on size of the noodle/shape of the baking dish, you may have a few extra noodles) and the last of the sauce. Top with reserved 1 cup mozzarella and more Parmesan, if you like.
Cover loosely with aluminum foil and place baking dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet (to prevent any overflow from burning on the bottom of your oven).
Bake until pasta is completely tender and cooked through and sauce is bubbling up around the edges, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and increase temperature to 450 degrees. Continue to bake until lasagna is golden brown on top with frilly, crispy edges and corners, another 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating.
CROCK POT LASAGNA
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, and begins, “Discover the fix-it-and-forget-it way to make lasagna! It's so easy.”
Makes 8 servings.
Ingredients
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 jar (26 to 28 oz.) tomato pasta sauce
1 can (8 oz.) no-salt-added tomato sauce
1/2 pkg. (9 oz. = about 8) no-boil lasagna noodles
1 jar (1 lb.) Alfredo pasta sauce
3 cups (12 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Brown ground beef in large skillet over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain.
Spray 4 to 5 quart crock pot/slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 3/4 cup of the tomato pasta sauce in bottom of sprayed slow cooker. Stir remaining tomato pasta sauce and tomato sauce into ground beef.
Layer 3 lasagna noodles over sauce in the crock pot/slow cooker, breaking noodles as necessary. Top with 1/3 of the Alfredo pasta sauce, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Top with 1/3 of the ground beef mixture, spreading evenly.
Repeat layering twice, using 2 lasagna noodles in last layer. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top.
Cover and cook on LOW heat setting for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours. If desired, cut into wedges to serve.
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