Last night I made lasagna. And it seems that every time that I make lasagna, I make it a different way and I'm never totally satisfied with my end product. I suppose that's not the lasagna's fault though, as I have never been a huge fan of pasta.
But this time! This time it was excellent! By far, the best lasagna I have ever eaten. Of course the only lasagna I have ever eaten was either the product of my kitchen or a close relatives kitchen. I would never order lasagna at an Italian restaurant with all the other wonderful choices that are on the menu.
This recipe does not contain ricotta cheese. I had no idea you could make lasagna without ricotta - as dumb as that sounds. I like ricotta alright, but sometimes it's just a bit too much.
Also, lasagna isn't really something that you can make in a snap. Especially not this recipe. But it is easy and totally scrumptious.
Lasagna with Two Sauces
6 lasagna strips, cooked al dente
Bechamel Sauce
4 c milk
1 med onion, sliced
2 bay leaves
8 whole cloves
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 c flour
salt & pepper
Meat Sauce
1/4 c olive oil
2 med onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
2 cans stewed tomatoes
2 cans tomato paste
3/4 beef broth
1 heaping tsp oregano
1 heaping tsp basil
3 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper
1 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
3/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
To make the Bechamel Sauce:
Pour milk into medium saucepan. Add onion, bay leaves, and cloves. Scald milk over medium heat, remove from heat, cover, and allow to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain milk.
In medium saucepan, melt 4 tbsp butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook until smooth and bubbly, 1-2 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.
Remover from heat and whisk in remaining 2 tbsp of butter.
To make the Meat Sauce:
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened. Add meats and cook until browned.
Add tomatoes, paste, stock, oregano, basil, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, and continue to simmer for about an hour.
Preheat over to 350 degrees.
Layer the lasagna in a 9 x 13 pan, in the order listed, starting from the bottom up:
1/3 meat sauce
1/3 Bechamel sauce
1/2 mozzarella and Parmesan
1/2 lasagna
1/3 meat sauce
1/3 Bechamel sauce
1/2 lasagna
1/3 meat sauce
1/3 Bechamel sauce
1/2 mozzarella and Parmesan
Bake until the top is golden brown, about 45 minutes.
Despite the fact that this one was so good, the next lasagna I attempt will be a veggie lasagna.
But this time! This time it was excellent! By far, the best lasagna I have ever eaten. Of course the only lasagna I have ever eaten was either the product of my kitchen or a close relatives kitchen. I would never order lasagna at an Italian restaurant with all the other wonderful choices that are on the menu.
This recipe does not contain ricotta cheese. I had no idea you could make lasagna without ricotta - as dumb as that sounds. I like ricotta alright, but sometimes it's just a bit too much.
Also, lasagna isn't really something that you can make in a snap. Especially not this recipe. But it is easy and totally scrumptious.
Lasagna with Two Sauces
6 lasagna strips, cooked al dente
Bechamel Sauce
4 c milk
1 med onion, sliced
2 bay leaves
8 whole cloves
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 c flour
salt & pepper
Meat Sauce
1/4 c olive oil
2 med onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
2 cans stewed tomatoes
2 cans tomato paste
3/4 beef broth
1 heaping tsp oregano
1 heaping tsp basil
3 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper
1 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
3/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
To make the Bechamel Sauce:
Pour milk into medium saucepan. Add onion, bay leaves, and cloves. Scald milk over medium heat, remove from heat, cover, and allow to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain milk.
In medium saucepan, melt 4 tbsp butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook until smooth and bubbly, 1-2 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.
Remover from heat and whisk in remaining 2 tbsp of butter.
To make the Meat Sauce:
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened. Add meats and cook until browned.
Add tomatoes, paste, stock, oregano, basil, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, and continue to simmer for about an hour.
Preheat over to 350 degrees.
Layer the lasagna in a 9 x 13 pan, in the order listed, starting from the bottom up:
1/3 meat sauce
1/3 Bechamel sauce
1/2 mozzarella and Parmesan
1/2 lasagna
1/3 meat sauce
1/3 Bechamel sauce
1/2 lasagna
1/3 meat sauce
1/3 Bechamel sauce
1/2 mozzarella and Parmesan
Bake until the top is golden brown, about 45 minutes.
Despite the fact that this one was so good, the next lasagna I attempt will be a veggie lasagna.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home