February 22, 2011

The Best Lasagna Ever!!!

This lasagna recipe has been in my family for almost 4 decades. When I was growing up a neighbor of ours shared this recipe with my mom, and to be honest, it is the only lasagna my family makes to this day! I think the secret to this great recipe is the white sauce incorporated into the center of the lasagna; it keeps the whole dish very moist.


Ingredients:

1/4 c. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 gloves of crushed garlic
1 lb of lean ground beef
1 lb lean ground pork
1lb 12 oz can of whole tomatoes
3 6 1/2 oz cans of tomato paste
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 T dried oregano
2 bay leafs
1/2 lb of mozzarella
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 15 oz. container of ricotta cheese
1 box lasagna noodles

White Sauce:
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk

Method:

Heat oil in a pot or deep skillet and add the onions, cook until they are translucent. Add ground meat and crushed garlic and cook until meat is browned. Add the tomatoes, paste, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper and bring to a boil blending all the ingredients. Then turn heat down to low and let simmer or 20 minutes. (Remember to remove the bay leaves before assembling the lasagna.
In the meantime bring a pot of water to a boil and add the lasagna noodles. Cook until they are al dente, about 8 minutes, and then drain. You may want to add a little oil to prevent noodles from sticking together.
And in a separate pot, on a low heat, melt the butter and then add the flour. Mix until it makes a roux, then slowly pour in the milk. Stir continually until the mixture thickens and begins to boil, remove from heat.

Now you are ready to assemble your lasagna!

Place 1/3 of the meat sauce on the bottom of your pan, and then cover with 1/3 of the noodles. Put another third of the meat sauce over the noodles and sprinkle with 1/4 c. of the Parmesan cheese. Place 1/3 of the noodles on top and then place the mozzarella on top of the noodles, and cover with the white sauce. Place the rest of the noodles on top and then drop dollops of the ricotta on the noodles. Add the rest of the meat sauce and blend with the ricotta until the entire top is completely covered. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese and bake in the oven set at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Pronto a mangiare!!
(Ready to eat!)

Chris's Rating a pure 8 out of 10!

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