Recipe for the best Lasagna in the world.

aaharvel

Keith's tuna thread gave me an idea. Here's for anyone who would like a great recipe for Lasagna-

Ingredients
- 1.5 LB. ground beef
- One jar Bertolli roasted tomato sauce
- Six (6) Lasagna noodles
- One (1) 24oz. Breakstone Cottage Cheese 2%
- Large (12-16oz. bag) grated Mozzarella
- 2 Eggs

Prep
- Brown ground beef/boil noodles/heat sauce
- Mix together 24oz. cottage cheese and 2eggs

In an oven-safe dish (approx. 12"x10"),
-Add 3 lasagna noodles to bottom of dish, then tomato sauce, cottage cheese/egg mixture for the 1st layer.
- Repeat everything for 2nd layer, and add Mozzarella.

Cooktime- 350degrees 30-40min.

add your own spices and seasoning.. i usually use an oregano/basil combination with just a touch of onion and garlic.

markmarc

Try the bottom of the box of American Beauty Lasagne. For sausage, believe it or not try the Johnsonville Sweet Italian sausage. Brown with extra virgin olive oil and some gound basil.
To give the sauce a nice flavor add some red wine. Serve with some ground romano (not parmesean) cheese.

Dennis Gardner

Fromunda cheese adds flavor too.........

bobman1235

Cottage Cheese??? Jarred sauce???

You'd be lynched in my family.

petrym

Lasagna 375° 30 min

1 lb ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tlbsp parsley flakes
1 tlbsp basil
1.5 tsp salt
1 16 oz can tomatoes
2 6 oz cans tomato paste

10 oz lasagna noodles
3 cups cream style cottage cheese
3 beaten eggs
2 tsp salt
0.5 tsp pepper
2 tblsp parsley flakes
0.5 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 lb mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (or grated)

Brown meat, drain off fat.
Add next six ingredients, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Cook noodles, rinse in cold water.
Combine cottage cheese, eggs, seasonings, and parmesan.
Place half the noodles in a 13x9x2 baking dish. Spread half the cottage cheese mixture, half the mozzarella, and half the meat sauce. Repeat layers. Bake 375° 30 minutes. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.

This recipe takes some time but is well worth it. It even tastes better when you reheat any leftovers.

bobman1235

Folks. You really need to find riccotta cheese and make real lasagna. I'm getting squeamish with all these "cottage cheese" recipes.

Bechamel Sauce:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons for the lasagna
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk at room temperature
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, recipe follows
Salt and white pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground chuck beef
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
1 pound lasagna sheets, cooked al dente
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bechamel sauce:
In a 2-quart pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and tomato sauce. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

In a saute pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking any large lumps, until it is no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain any excess fat. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Into the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets and spread all the ground beef on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the mozzarella cheese on top of the beef. Spread another 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top lasagna.

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place lasagna dish on top, cover and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until top is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes.

cfrizz

God, I was ready to heave with all the cottage cheese being tossed around.

GET REAL CHEESE PEOPLE!

aaharvel

cottage cheese doesn't clot your arteries like Riccotta. Consequently the recipe I offered doesn't make you a prime candidate for a membership to The Heart Attack Of The Month Club and it's still delicious.

sorry if no one likes cottage cheese..

Demiurge

I love me some Cottage Cheese, and I like Ricotta too...oh, that's right...I'm a cheese head.

I have a hankerin' for some good Lasagna now.

bobman1235

I have no problem with cottage cheese as a snack, but as soon as you poison the sanctity that is delicious lasagna with it, I have to call shenanigans.

danger boy

while those are nice recipes.. i could do without the cottage cheese. Ricotta all the way baby!

Demiurge

If you can get the real deal Mozzarella, I would suggest that too. They usually come in containers filled with a watery mixture that houses the little balls of Mozzarella. You can slice that up and spread it evenly over the Lasagna. When you do that it doesn't exactly look like it'll be enough cheese, but it melts VERY well and it's fabulous.

It's not cheap cheese, but it's definitely well worth it. I also like throwing in some sliced black olives as well. I prefer the Ricotta cheese on my Lasagna as well, and if fat content is your issue you can get a lower fat Ricotta that's a lot more dry due to the reduced fat, but I still prefer the regular stuff.

I think I know what i'm having for dinner tonight.

bobman1235

If you're looking for a lower fat meal, maybe lasagna wasn't the best choice to begin with

Mike Reeter

I'm sorry guys,but,real Italian dishes do not have Ground Beef as an ingredient