Your family and friends will love you for making this classic Italian pasta. If any is left, it will be even better on the second and third day, once the flavors have melded together.
1 lb. (16 oz.) dried lasagne noodles
1 Tbsp.kosher salt for the pasta cooking water
3 ½ cups Marinara
Sauce * recipe follows
8 oz. mozzarella
(sliced)
½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
(grated)
1 cup ricotta
cheese
Bring a large pot of water (4 to
5 quarts) to a boil. When it reaches a boil add the kosher salt and the pasta,
return to a boil and prepare the lasagna noodles according to the package
directions.
Place 1 cup of the marinara sauce into the
baking dish. Top with a layer of lasagna
noodles. Place ½ of the mozzarella
slices over the noodles, and then sprinkle on ½ of the Parmigiano. Top this with ½ of the ricotta. Spread 1 cup
of the marinara sauce over the ricotta. Place another layer of lasagna noodles
over the sauce. Repeat the layering of
the cheeses, and top this with 1 cup of sauce.
Place remaining noodles over dish and spread the remaining ½ cup sauce
over the noodles. Place in a preheated
350 degree oven for about 30 min. or until mixture is bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand 10 min. to
set. Cut into squares to serve.
*Marinara Sauce - Sugo di pomodoro
This sauce can be used on spaghetti or linguini or in Marinara
Lasagna, Eggplant Lasagne or on polenta.
Make this when you have some time
to spend in the kitchen. The aroma will
fill your home, and bring your family and guests into the kitchen.
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 head of garlic peeled and finely minced
2 medium onions or 1 large onion peeled and chopped into a
small dice
2 packages (8 oz.)
button mushrooms (peeled* -optional), rinsed and the ends of the stems removed if
they are dry looking
3 cans 1lb. 12 oz. each plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
1 6 oz. tomato paste (optional if you want a
little thicker sauce)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried onion powder
1/3 cup rinsed and chopped parsley leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tsp. sugar
Heat the olive oil in a large
heavy bottomed pot. Add the garlic when
the oil is hot enough to sizzle when a piece of minced garlic is dropped into
it, and gently sauté for a minute, then add the chopped onion. Watch carefully
to make sure that the garlic turns only a golden color and the onion only
becomes translucent and does not turn brown. If using tomato paste add it now.
Cut the mushrooms into quarters and place in a small pot, and place over medium
heat. The water contained in the
mushrooms themselves should be sufficient to cook them. Keep an eye on them as you are sautéing the
garlic and onions and turn the heat off when the mushrooms are cooked. Add the plum tomatoes to the pot with the
onions and garlic and break them up with a potato masher or a wooden
spoon. You can break up the tomatoes in
a large bowl before adding them to the pot if you wish. A potato masher makes quick work of this. Stir
over medium heat until the sauce starts to bubble, then lower the heat so that
the sauce is barely at a simmer. Add the
red pepper flakes, dried oregano, the dried onion powder, and sautéed
mushrooms, and continue to simmer very gently over very low heat for 1 ½ hours stirring every few minutes making sure
that the sauce does not burn. Towards the end of the simmering time, add the
salt and pepper, tasting to see how much to add, and the sugar and taste to see
if a little more is needed. Add the
chopped parsley leaves, and stir. Simmer for a few additional minutes and remove from the heat.
** To peel mushrooms - use a paring knife to remove the outer skin and any impurities on the mushrooms.
Hope you and your family enjoy this classic Italian Lasagne
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