Italian-American lasagna is slightly different from the
way it is prepared in Italy. That being said, the lasagna we all grew up
eating is still the comfort food, over-the-top indulgence of sauce,
meat, pasta and cheese. This recipe is for a large 14x10x2 lasagna pan.
A 13x9 pan would require much less sauce, cheese and noodles. Note that
in America we spell it Lasagna; in the UK and Italy it almost
always is spelled Lasagne.
Preparation Time: 4 hours Serving Size: 12
- (2) 24-ounce jars Classico©
Tomato-Basil pasta sauce
- (1) 24-ounce jar Classico©
Spicy Red Pepper pasta sauce
- 3/4 cup cabernet sauvignon (or other dry red wine)
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage
- 15 Barilla©
Lasgane noodles
- 30 - 32 ounces ricotta cheese
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- 3 extra large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesano-Reggiano cheese
- 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated sharp provolone cheese
- 5 cups pre-shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
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Remove sausage from casing, if necessary, and break up
into a large non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Continue
to break up the meat with a wooden spoon. Meanwhile, pour
the three jars of sauce into a large stock pot. Use 1/4 cup
of wine to rinse out each of the three jars and add to the
sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once browned, use
a slotted spoon to drain the meat and add to the sauce.
Lower heat and allow to cook uncovered about 45 minutes,
stirring frequently.
Prepare the noodles in batches in a large flat pan
instead of a tall stock pot. In another large sauté pan,
fill 2/3 full with water and bring to a very light boil. Add
2 tablespoons salt and stir. Next add 5 lasgane noodles and
gently nudge to keep from sticking to each other and the
bottom of the pan. Allow to cook until just starting to get
tender, about 15 minutes. Timing is not exact using this
method. Test by gently lifting the noodle out of the water
with tongs and pinching the corner with your thumb and index
finger. Once just starting to get tender, use tongs to drain
over the pot and lay the noodles out on parchment paper
lining the counter. Continue with the other two batches. Be
sure to add water and a little more salt between batches as
necessary to keep the water level at 2/3 full. Do not over
cook the noodles.
By now the sauce should have thickened just slightly and
all noodles are cooked. Remove sauce from the heat, allow to
cool 15 minutes, then carefully pour out into a bowl or
bowls large enough to hold it. Allow it cool considerably at
least 30 minutes, stirring often, before assembling the
lasagna. Heat oven to 375°.
In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with the three
eggs. Add kosher salt to taste. Lightly spray the bottom and
sides of the lasagna pan with cooking spray. Cover the
bottom of the pan with about 3/4 cup of sauce. Place four
noodles long way in the pan, slightly over lapping and one
noodle crosswise to completely cover the sauce. Spread half
of the ricotta/egg mixture over the noodles. Now evenly
distribute half of the Parmesano-Reggiano, Pecorino-Romano
and sharp provolone over the ricotta. Sprinkle with a third
of the mozzarella. Now pour half of the sauce over the
cheeses. Start another layer of noodles in the same way as
the first. Spread the remaining ricotta over the noodles and
distribute the rest of the Pecorino-Romano and sharp
provolone over the ricotta. Sprinkle with half of the
remaining Parmesano-Reggiano and mozzarella. Pour
three-fourths of the remaining sauce over the cheese. Place
the remaining noodles over the sauce in the same way as the
first two layers. Pour the remaining sauce over the noodles.
Sprinkle evenly with the remaining mozzarella and
Parmesano-Reggiano cheese. Spray aluminum foil with cooking
spray and completely cover the lasagna. Place in the
pre-heated oven for at least 45 minutes until heated through
and just starting to bubble in the center. Remove foil and
continue to bake until the top layer of cheese has melted
and starting to brown, about 15 - 30 minutes. Remove from
the oven and allow to cool at least 15 minutes before
serving.
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