Classic Lasagna
While I am sure there is a place for vegetarian lasagnas, eggplant lasagnas, lasagnas made with zucchini noodles and all the many other variations that have inserted their ways into our kitchens and potlucks, in my mind this is how Lasagna should be. Warm, carb-filled comfort food.
And there is no sugar-coating it. Homemade (proper homemade) lasagna is work. It is a labour of love. It shows the ones you bless your table with that you care. So hunker down in the kitchen and enjoy the process.
When I go to the trouble of making lasagna, those few times a year when I forgot how much work it actually is or my desire for it outweighs my better judgement, I make several at one time and freeze the extras. These can be given to loved ones when comfort food is in great demand, or hidden in the freezer when an unexpected crowd invites themselves for dinner. At least if I’m in the kitchen for several hours I have something to show for it.
A few ways of breaking up the work and/or reducing it-
- I always purchase ready to cook lasagna noodles, so I can skip the step of cooking and cooling them.
- Both the tomato sauce and the Bechamel sauce can be made in advance.
- You can prep all of your ingredients a day or two before and assemble them the morning you want to cook the lasagna.
Classic Lasagna
Loosely adapted from Giada de Laurentis
Bechamel Sauce
5 Tbsp butter
½ cup all purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
pinch fresh nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
In a 2 quart pot, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, approximately 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 and creamy, approximately 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.
Lasagna
2 cups quick tomato sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 ½ pounds ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
1 lb lasagna sheets (oven ready or cooked al dente)
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter
Preheat the oven to 375F
Combine the Bechamel sauce and the tomato sauce and stir to combine.
In a saute pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil until hot; water should bead off of it. Add the ground beef in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Brown the meat, breaking up any large lumps, until no longer pink. [Note: depending on the size of your pan, you may want to do this in several stages so the meat browns and does not steam]. Remove from heat, drain any excess fat and allow meat to cool.
In a medium sized bowl, mix the ricotta cheese and eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread 1/3 of the sauce onto the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread a layer of all of the ricotta mixture and then layer all of the spinach. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets and spread all the ground beef on top. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese on top. Spread another 1/3 of the sauce on top. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with the remaining sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan. Dot the top with butter.
Place the lasagna on a lined baking sheet. Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the lasagna with the sprayed side of the foil. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for another 15 minutes. The cheese should be melted and browned in parts and the lasagna should be bubbling.