Bon AppÉtit Lasagna Recipes

TURKEY SAUSAGE-SPINACH LASAGNA WITH SPICY TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sausages; sauté until brown, using fork to break up meat into coarse pieces, about 7 minutes. Add Spicy Tomato Sauce. Simmer 5 minutes.
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°F. Whisk ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, eggs, cream, basil, oregano and pepper in large bowl. Set aside. Spoon 1 cup sauce over bottom of 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Place 3 noodles over sauce in single layer. Spread 1 cup sauce over noodles. Spoon 1 cup ricotta mixture over sauce. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1 cup provolone over ricotta mixture. Repeat layering with 3 noodles, 1 cup sauce, 1 cup ricotta mixture, 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1 cup provolone. Arrange remaining 3 noodles over cheese. Spoon 1 cup sauce over noodles. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1 cup provolone over lasagna. Dollop remaining ricotta mixture atop lasagna. Spoon 2 1/2 cups sauce around ricotta dollops. Tightly cover baking dish with foil.
• Bake lasagna 50 minutes; uncover and continue baking until noodles are tender and lasagna is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes longer. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm, covered with foil, in 350°F. oven about 45 minutes.)
• Meanwhile, rewarm remaining sauce in small saucepan over medium heat. Serve lasagna, passing remaining sauce.

PANCETTA AND TALEGGIO LASAGNA WITH TREVISO

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta, celery, and onion. Sauté until vegetables are soft but not brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup sliced Treviso to small bowl and reserve for topping. Add remaining Treviso, 2 teaspoons thyme, and garlic to skillet. Toss until Treviso wilts, about 3 minutes. Season filling with salt and pepper.
• Cook lasagna noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain noodles. Arrange noodles in single layer on large sheet of plastic wrap; cover with second sheet to avoid drying. DO AHEAD: Filling and pasta can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and whisk until roux is pale gold color, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk; add nutmeg and white pepper. Increase heat to medium and cook until sauce thickens and boils, whisking often, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add Taleggio cheese in 4 batches, whisking to melt before adding more, about 4 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spoon 1/2 cup sauce into 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish; spread to cover bottom thinly. Arrange 3 noodles, crosswise and side by side, in dish; trim ends if necessary to fit. Transfer 3/4 cup filling to another small bowl and reserve for topping. Spoon half of remaining filling over noodles. Drizzle with 2/3 cup sauce; sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat with noodles, filling, sauce, and Parmesan. Top with third layer of noodles; drizzle with 2/3 cup sauce. Spoon reserved 3/4 cup filling down center of lasagna lengthwise in 2-inch-wide strip. Drizzle strip with remaining sauce, then top with breadcrumbs. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before continuing.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake lasagna uncovered until heated through and sauce is bubbling, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool 15 minutes.
• Toss reserved Treviso in small bowl with splash of olive oil and sprinkle of salt and pepper. Sprinkle over strip of filling. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon thyme.

POLENTA LASAGNA WITH SPINACH AND HERBY RICOTTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees and butter an 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet pan. Grease a rubber spatula with butter.
• Prepare the polenta: In a large pot, bring 6 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, then slowly pour in polenta, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking often, until polenta thickens, 8 to 12 minutes. Whisk in 4 tablespoons butter until melted. Whisk in spinach until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in 1 cup grated Parmesan.
• Scrape polenta onto the prepared baking sheet. Using the greased rubber spatula, spread the mixture into a thin, even layer to cover the entire pan, all the way to corners. Sprinkle 1/2 cup grated Parmesan on top. Bake until polenta is firm and cheese has melted, 12 to 18 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack until completely cooled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or place in refrigerator until cool to touch, about 40 to 50 minutes. (Polenta can be baked the day before and refrigerated until needed.)
• When ready to bake the lasagna, heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Prepare the ricotta filling: In a small bowl, mix ricotta, parsley, basil, egg, black pepper, nutmeg and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix until well combined and set aside.
• Taste the marinara sauce. If it needs some zip, stir in any or all of the optional ingredients.
• Assemble the lasagna: Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut cooled polenta in half widthwise, creating 2 pieces roughly 9 by 13 inches each. Using a large spatula, gently place one half in prepared baking dish. (It is important for polenta to be completely cooled and firm; otherwise, the pieces may break when transferring to baking dish. If anything breaks, just reassemble it in the pan. It won't make much of a difference once it's covered in sauce and baked.)
• Spread about half the ricotta mixture in an even layer on top of polenta. Pour about half of marinara sauce on top of ricotta, sprinkle with about half of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat with remaining polenta, ricotta, marinara and mozzarella. Once assembled, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan on top.
• Place baking dish on top of a rimmed sheet pan in case the lasagna bubbles over. Bake until cheese melts, about 30 minutes. If you like, you can broil lasagna for 2 minutes after baking until cheese starts to bubble and develop brown spots.
• Remove from oven and let lasagna stand for about 15 minutes to firm up before serving. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.

MIXED-MUSHROOM LASAGNA WITH PARMESAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
• Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and oregano and stir 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes and wine and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set tomato sauce aside.
• Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in another large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until mushrooms begin to release juices, about 9 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Spread 1/3 cup tomato sauce over bottom of prepared dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles crosswise in dish. Spread 3/4 cup Parmesan Sauce over. Arrange 1/3 of mushrooms over sauce. Spoon 1/2 cup tomato sauce over mushrooms. Repeat layering 2 more times. Top with 3 lasagna noodles. Spread remaining Parmesan Sauce over. Drizzle with remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Cover lasagna with foil. Bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until noodles are tender and top is golden, about 25 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes.