Homemade Italian Lasagna
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage or ground beef
- 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon basil
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Pinch of sugar
Drizzle olive oil in a stock pan over medium heat. Once heated, add onion and garlic and saute until fragrant. Add in meat of choice and cook until no longer pink. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and seasonings.
Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Filling
- 3 cups ricotta cheese
- 6 1/2 cups part skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 box oven-ready pasta sheets
Mix 2 cups mozzarella and all ingredients except pasta sheets together until well combined.
Heat oven to 400 F. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spread one ladle of sauce along the bottom to prevent sticking. Place four pasta sheets along the bottom of the dish. Spread half of the filling mixture evenly onto sheets. Spread two to three ladles of meat sauce evenly over the filling. Sprinkle 2 cups of mozzarella cheese evenly over the meat sauce. Place four more pasta sheets over that layer, and repeat the process. Spread remaining meat sauce over the final layer, and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil using toothpicks in corners to prevent the foil from sticking. Bake for 35 minutes. Uncover, then bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Let lasagna rest for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting.
Chicken Lasagna
- 9 lasagna noodles
- 4 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2½ cups chicken broth
- 1½ cups half-and-half
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 ounces fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup parsley
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain. Add cold water to the pot to stop the cooking process and prevent noodles from sticking.
Heat oven to 375 F. Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil, and saute onions for 3 to 4 minutes or until softened. Add butter, then whisk in the flour. Whisk for 3 minutes or until mixture is golden.
Add chicken broth, half-and-half, salt and black pepper. Whisk until smooth. Simmer for 5 minutes until thickened to a light gravy consistency. Add minced garlic and chopped spinach. Stir to combine, then remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk together ricotta, egg, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, Parmesan and parsley.
Spread some spinach sauce on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Add three noodles. Add half of the ricotta sauce and half of the shredded chicken. Ladle one-third of spinach sauce over the chicken. Add three noodles. Top with the remaining ricotta cheese and chicken. Top with one-third of the spinach sauce. Add three noodles and the remaining sauce. Sprinkle on the reserved 1 cup mozzarella.
Poke 10 to 12 toothpicks into the top of the lasagna, then cover with foil. Bake on the center rack for 45 minutes. Uncover and broil for 2 to 3 minutes. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Mexican Lasagna
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 4-ounce can diced green chiles, drained
- 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1/2 cup corn kernels
- 16-ounce can refried beans
- 10-ounce can red enchilada sauce, divided
- 12 8-inch flour tortillas
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Cooking spray
- Pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole, optional
Heat oven to 375 F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the taco seasoning. Mix in the chiles, tomatoes and corn. Add the refried beans. Stir until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Cut the tortillas in half, and layer six tortilla halves to fit in the dish. Spread one-third of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese. Spread one-third of the bean and meat mixture over the cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with layers of tortillas, enchilada sauce and the remaining cheese.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover, then bake for an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned. Sprinkle with cilantro, and add desired toppings. Cut into squares and serve.
Lasagna al Pesto
Bechamel Pesto Sauce
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ cups basil pesto
Cheese Mixture
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- ½ tablespoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Lasagna
- 5 lasagna noodles
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water per package directions. When al dente (still firm but not crunchy and not too soft), drain and toss with a little olive oil to help prevent sticking. Set aside.
To make the pesto bechamel sauce, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium pot. When melted, add the flour. Stir to combine. Cook for 30 to 60 seconds. Whisk in the milk, salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce slightly thickens, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Remove the sauce from the heat. Add the pesto, and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, combine all of the cheese mixture ingredients. Season to taste with salt, basil and pepper.
Heat oven to 375 F. Spread ½ cup of the pesto sauce across the bottom of a 9-by-9-inch dish.
Cut the lasagna noodles in half to turn each one into shorter strips. Lay three strips across the bottom of the dish, slightly overlapping. Gently spread 1 cup of the cheese mixture across the noodles.
Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded mozzarella on top of the cheese mixture, followed by 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Gently spread 1 cup of the pesto sauce across the cheeses. Repeat another layer of noodles, the remainder of the cheese mixture, mozzarella, Parmesan and pesto sauce. Lay out the third layer of noodles. Top with the remaining pesto sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan.
Cover with foil, and bake for 50 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Remove from the oven, and let it sit 15 minutes before cutting and serving.