Classic Lasagna

Here’s my version of a classic lasagna! And my thoughts about some of the alternatives to making it. I’m sure I’m going to start a riot with this but here’s my two-cents on a few things to do with lasagna making.

OK, here goes!

Homemade or cheater sauce?
I don’t think you have to make your own sauce. I know it’s amazing when you do but my thought about it is that there are so many other flavors and textures happening with lasagna that it’s really not necessary.

Ricotta or cottage cheese?
I actually prefer cottage cheese over ricotta. I know ricotta is more authentic and your Italian grandmother would probably bungee jump naked before she'd use cottage cheese but I think you lose the ricotta in lasagna because the texture is so fine. And sometimes it almost comes across mealy. I like cottage cheese because I think it stands up to the other ingredients. And it’s cheaper. Holla!

Shred your own or buy pre-shredded cheese?
The only thing I am a snob about with lasagna is the mozzarella. Do not (repeat: do not!) buy shredded mozzarella. Shredded mozzarella is finished firmer to make it easier to shred so it's not as creamy and looses its elasticity. And shredded cheese is coated with all sorts of additives to prevent it from sticking together (like powdered cellulose… which is basically chemically treated wood pulp… ummm… yeah… NO). Between all the additives and firmer finish, the cheese doesn't melt right or taste as good.

Traditional or no-boil noodles?
I think you can use traditional cooked noodles or buy the no-boil kind but if you’re using the no-boil kind, add about 3-4 tablespoons of water to your meat sauce and maybe even a tablespoon of milk to your cheese mixture. The no-boil noodles will leach the liquid they need from your other ingredients so your lasagna might be dry if you don’t juice it up a little. You may also have to cook it longer to get the noodles tender.

So anyway, here’s how I make mine and I absolutely love it! This is just your basic, classic lasagna with meat sauce and cheese. Feel free to jazz it up with veggies and fresh herbs!

Buon appetito!

Classic Lasagna
1.25 – 1.5 pounds ground beef
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium onion, diced
1 24-ounce jar traditional prepared spaghetti sauce (not “chunky”)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups cottage cheese or ricotta cheese (I prefer cottage cheese)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish (both are optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
9-12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces good mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons olive oil

Make meat sauce:
Brown ground beef with onion and salt and pepper in a large skillet until meat is cooked through; drain fat from meat. Add spaghetti sauce and crushed red pepper then stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer meat sauce for 30 minutes.

Make cheese mixture:
Combine cottage or ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, oregano, garlic and salt; stir to combine then set aside.

Prepare mozzarella:
Divide cheese in half. Shred one half and slice the other half into thin slices. I like to slice my mozzarella into thin slices using a wire cheese slicer (you can see the slices on top of the lasagna in the photo). If you don’t have something to easily cut thin slices with, just shred all of your mozzarella. You will use 1/4 of the cheese in the first layer, 1/4 in the second layer and then use the remaining half on top.

Cook pasta:
Cook lasagna noodles in liberally salted water per manufacturer’s instructions for al dente preparation.

Assemble & cook lasagna:
Drizzle the bottom of a large rectangular baking pan with olive oil. Arrange 3-4 noodles (depending how big your pan is – mine fits 3 noodles per layer) in a single layer in baking pan. Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture over noodles. Top cheese mixture with 1/3 meat sauce. Top meat sauce with 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat these layers two times, adding remaining mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese to the top.

If you’re a visual person or easily distracted like me (seriously, I've cooked lasagna like 934 times and I still get off track sometimes), here’s a listing of the layers:

TOP
Mozzarella: 1/2, plus parmesan
Meat sauce: 1/3
Cheese mixture: 1/3
Noodles: 3-4
Mozzarella: 1/4
Meat sauce: 1/3
Cheese mixture: 1/3
Noodles: 3-4
Mozzarella: 1/4
Meat sauce: 1/3
Cheese mixture: 1/3
Noodles: 3-4
Olive oil
BOTTOM

Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly. Remove aluminum foil from dish and continue baking for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is nicely browned. Remove from oven and let stand 15-20 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.

This recipe was featured at the Weekend Potluck!

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