Ahhh....Lasagna! what makes urs reign supreme?

Question

What makes your lasagna the best recipe? I make mine w/5 cheeses; ricotta, cottage, parm, mozz, and a blend of mozz and cheddar on top. I also use fresh basil, make my own sauce and use 1/2 lean ground beef and have sausage (to give it a little kick and add another flavor dimesnion.

Do u cook ur noodles or put them in raw? I cook mine until their very under el dente b/c I find that it can get dried out if using uncooked pasta. I pull out the pasta early so that it cooks the rest and absorbs the moisture and that way it turns out perfect. I also broil a split loaf of french bread and rub with a clove of garlic after it's toasted, salt it and then slather on some butter with freshly chopped parsley

Answer 1

Sounds like an excellent way to make it.  I overload it with cheese, and use very little sauce (like the crunchy parts on the sides) and serve the sauce on the side.

I think all you're missing is a really cold salad on the side and you've got it!

Oh, white zin to drink.  

Answer 2

I put em in raw, i love the change in texture around the sides. also, i load up on the cottage cheese and put in spinach. lots of cheese on top too lol

Answer 3

I'm always interested on a classic Italian recipe. I worked in the industry for many years, I'm Italian and I know personally a few excellent chefs that worked around the world.

Italian rule number 1: KEEP IT SIMPLE.

What is a Lasagna? a simple baked oven dish with layers of pasta cooked in a Bolognese (not bolognaise) sauce, filled with some mozzarella and topped with parmesan and if you like some light bechamel.

First you need an excellent Bolognese, shallow fry some chopped onion, add chopped celery and carrots. Put the mince meat in it, one kind ( beef or pork) the beef is the classic-one. stear everything and make sure all the fat out of the mince meat has dried during the shallow fry. When it looks nice and ready add the tomato sauce ( the choice of this, if bought in cans, will make a huge difference to the taste). Now with low fires let it cook for hours, add the salt and pepper..... yes... it takes hours, whoever states that you can make Bolognese in 20 minutes is an excellent MacDon Chef. Once is cooked but not dried up, is ready, turn it off.

In the meanwhile you might have boiled some hard egg, or chopped some fresh coocked ham... that's your personal adding touch, don't over do it.

Turn the oven on at 200-300, mark 4.

Take the oven dish, lay down some sauce, not too much. Add a layer of the raw sheet of pasta ( lasagna pasta, if homemade good, otherwise buy Lasagna pasta, not noodles.... come on...), on the pasta again, sauce. Top with some of your choice, boiled egg or ham... don't come out with some out of order item ( tuna, olives etc...).

Cover again with sauce, then Pasta, then sauce, Bechamel ( If you like it), Parmesan.

Cover the Dish with some foil, cook it for 30 min with the foil, then remove it and back in the oven for another 10,15min.

Done, enjoy it!

It takes loooong time, a goog Lasagna it is not a joke or a walk in the park, but it is simple straight procedure like all the Italian dishes.

KISS ( keep it straight and simple)

Answer 4

when i make my lasagna from scratch i use the following....

1 pound gr. beef

1/4 pound gr italian sausage

1/4 pound gr. pork`

1/2 pound gr. veal (if you can find it.  if not, gr. turkey)

5 pcs garlic diced

1 med onion diced

with the meat, about 1/8 cup worchestire sauce.

3 can tomato sauce

1 can tomato paste

1 can diced tomatoes

oregano, salt, pepper, chili powder, thyme, rosemary all to taste  

slightly cook your noodles.  DO NOT MAKE THEM TOTALLY SOFT.  you want to put them in boiling water, return the water to a boil, and turn off.  let set for 5 minutes then drain. You just want to start them cooking.  If I am making it a day in advance, i put my noodles in raw as well.  but if it is for dinner that night, i don't

as for cheese

1 sm container cottage

2 cups grated (not powder) parmesan

2 cups monzrella grated

(i don't use ricotta because of allergies to it.)

spray your 9x11 pan with Pam.

place a layer of noodles down.  sprinkle the meat mixture on then sauce, then cheese mixture.  continue till pan is full.  then sprinkle with remaing cheese, or with about 1 cup grated fiesta blend cheese

bake at 300 for about an hour and a half.

make sure you put something under it like foil in case it should bubble up some.

let set for 10 minutes before cutting.

serve with a tossed salad, and garlic bread.

Answer 5

Princess, that sounds divine. Can I come over for dinner?? LOL