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Lasagna for the masses
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12 lasagna noodles
1/3 lb of ground beef
1/3 lb of italian sausage (peeled)
2 cans of Tomato Paste
Cheddar cheese (one cup grated)
Mozzarella Cheese (one cup grated)
Parmesan cheese (block, not grated)
Ricotta cheese (1/2 cup)
Cottage cheese (1/2 cup)
Spinach (1/4 lb) - optional
2 large fresh tomatoes
4 to 6 mushrooms (any kind you like)
1 green pepper
1/2 a red onion
2-3 cloves garlic
Spices. (this part is personal. I use about 1 1/2 tblspn of oregano, a dash of rosemary, 2 tablespoons of salt, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, a dash of ground pepper, and a couple splashes of tobasco).
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Sounds like a lot huh? Well, its easy actually.
1.Bring a pot of water to boil with a splash of olive oil and salt, then add lasagna noodles. Cook until soft and flexible.
2.While noodles are boiling, begin sauce. Mince your garlic, dice your onions, peel and finely chop the sausage. Add garlic and onions first, then the ground beef and sausage. Cook covered on med-low until meet is brown and onions are tender.
3. Add diced mushrooms, diced peppers, and very finely chopped tomatoes. Cook until peppers are tender. At this point, add 2 tblspns of salt.
4. Add tomato paste. This should blend with the juice from the meat and vegetables to make a thick sauce. You will probably need to add a half cup of water or a half cup of canned tomato sauce.
5. Spicing. As I said, to each their own. Look at the ingredients list and see what you think. A vital item from that list, however, is sugar. It cuts the acidity of tomato paste. 2 to 3 tblspns should do the trick. An extra tblspn of salt can be added if you wish.
5. If you are using spinach for your cheese layer, boil it now for 15 mins.
6. The sauce should be simmering, and the noodles should be strained and cooked. Take the ricotta, the cottage cheese, and the Parmesan and mix them in a bowl. Parmesan shouldnt be pre grated kind as it has an anti-caking agent that will mess up your mix. Grate your own from a block, using at most a 1/2 cup. Crack in one beaten egg. Mix in spinach if you have it. Add a pinch of salt. Note: ricotta can be replaced with mozzarella if you want.
7. Time to stack the lasagna. Use a mid sized rectangular baking dish made of either glass or metal. lay out the bottom layer of noodle, and spread about 1/3 of your tomato sauce on it. Lay out another noodle layer, then spread your cheese/spinach mix on it so it is a little over an inch thick. Add another noodle layer, and coat it with another 1/3 of your tom. sauce. Add the final noodle layer (doesnt matter if you run out here)
8. Spread tomato sauce liberally on top of the lasagna. grate on about a cup of cheddar and a cup of mozzarella. However much cheese you like is appropriate.
9. Bake under foil in a pre-heated oven of 375 degrees for 15 mins.
Remove foil, reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. Watch edges for burning when you remove the foil.
Let stand for at least 20 minutes. Leftovers can be refrigerate for about 4 days, and frozen indefinitely.
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Preparation Time: 1 to 2 hours |
Serves: 4 to 6 |
| Recipe Origin: United States |
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Submitted by: |
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Jim Hill
British Columbia
Canada |
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| This recipe has been viewed 3674 times. |
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