Sunday, December 09, 2007

I make a mean lasagna

It's true. It's so mean, I'm posting the recipe before I forget what went into it:

This is a small lasagna, enough to feed maybe 4 adults and 2 little kids, or maybe just four adults.

Noodles
lasagna noodles, 1/2 box
Boil for 13 minutes in the BIG pot (Don't try using the little one, again, Tricia!)

Sauce
Minced garlic to taste, I use about 1 tablespoon's worth (I use Grandma's famous minced elephant garlic in olive oil that I get from the boys' grandma and which is quite famous with me. You'll be on your own, though, because Grandma's Famous Minced Elephant Garlic is not available in a store near you.)
1/2 small to medium onion, chopped finely
Splash of olive oil
Saute these ingredients until your kitchen smells good, then deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine.
1 small can of tomato paste (optional, I used it this time, and I liked it, I think it made the sauce a little sweeter.)
Garlic Salt and italian seasonings to taste (Basil, Oregano)
1 large can of crushed tomatoes, preferably already seasoned with basil and garlic and onions. (next time, I may go with one regular sized can of crushed tomatoes and one regular sized can of chopped tomatoes because I like the texture of chopped tomatoes)

Add the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes and then simmer the onions and garlic and wine and tomato paste and crushed tomatoes until the noodles are done boiling.

Cheese Filling
15 oz of part skim ricotta cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese (1/2 to 1 cup to taste)
Parmesan cheese (1/4 to 1/2 cup to taste)
1 egg
Salt
Pepper (lots of pepper)
Oregano

Mix these ingredients together while the noodles are boiling and the sauce is simmering.

Construction
Spray the pan of your choice with a pan spray. This is going to be a small lasagna, so use a cake pan or a small-ish casserole pan. I have a nice garlic flavored pan spray that I like to use.

Put some sauce in the bottom of the pan.

Add a layer of noodles.
Add a layer of ricotta cheese mix
Sprinkle some grated mozzarella on top of that
More sauce

noodles
ricotta cheese mix
shredded mozzarella cheese
more sauce

noodles
ricotta cheese mix
sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese

I think that's how I built this last one.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Let the thing sit for about 10 minutes before cutting. It will taste just fine if you don't let it sit, but it will fall apart.

2 comments:

nita said...

where we used to live, there was an old school italian deli and they made their own ricotta.

*swoon*

so, leftovers?!

Tricia Roth said...

I'm saving the leftovers for tomorrow. They should be all nice and set up by then.

I never thought of people making their own ricotta, but I bet that would make for an even meaner lasagna!

Grandma's garlic does a heck of a lot for mine, though.