Lasagna A La Amanda Recipes

AMANDA'S "ALMOST FAMOUS" LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large saute or sauce pan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and spread it around the bottom of the, allowing it to brown before turning with a spoon. If it's easier, break up the sausage with a potato masher while it is in the pan to form bit-sized pieces. Continue to cook and stir until it is just cooked through, about 5-8 minutes.
• Add all of the tomato sauce except a few tablespoons. (The reserved sauce will coat the bottom of the lasagna pan.) Stir to combine the sausage with the tomato sauce, then simmer for 10-15 minutes until the flavors meld. Taste, adding salt if necessary. (Many times the sausage has plenty of seasoning already.)
• While the sauce simmers, make the cheese filling. In a medium mixing bowl, combine three cups of the mozzarella with the ricotta and 1/2 cup of the grated parmesan. Stir to combine. Taste, adding a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper if needed.
• Add the egg to the mixture and stir to incorporate.
• Place the remaining cup of mozzarella and the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan in a small bowl and toss to combine. Set aside.
• To build the lasagna, spread the reserved tablespoons of tomato sauce across the bottom of a 8 X 12 or 9 X 13 baking dish. Place 4 of the lasagna noodles crosswise, allowing them to overlap a bit if necessary. (If the noodles you are using cover the length of the pan, place 3 of the noodles lengthwise to create the first layer.)
• Drop ½ of the ricotta cheese mixture in spoonfuls across the noodles. Spread it out evenly with a spatula or even use your hands if necessary to create a fairly even layer. Pour 1/3 of the meat sauce over the cheese and spread with a spatula to cover.
• Repeat with another layer of noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, and ⅓ of the meat sauce.
• Add the final layer of noodles, then the remaining sauce, ensuring the noodles are totally covered with the sauce.
• Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan over the entire lasagna.
• Cover the pan tightly with a piece of aluminum foil. Place it on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Lift a corner of the foil and insert a knife in the lasagna. If it easily punctures the noodles, remove the foil and bake another 5 minutes until bubbly. If not, cover it again and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
• Allow the lasagna to cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve immediately.

WORLD'S BEST LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

SEVEN LAYER LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Cut each of the zucchini in half crosswise and then slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil and a pinch of salt, and spread on a baking sheet. Cut the portabellas into 1/4-inch strips, and then toss in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and a pinch of salt and place on a separate baking sheet. Roast for 7 to 8 minutes, then flip and roast until tender and starting to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. The portabellas may take a few minutes longer than the zucchini. Cool the vegetables. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• While the vegetables roast, mix 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the pepper, nutmeg, ricotta, eggs, basil and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until well combined.
• Spread 1 1/2 cups of the marinara in the bottom of a baking dish and top with an even layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (about 5). Top the noodles with 1 1/2 cups of the ricotta mixture, spreading as evenly as possible. Evenly distribute half of the roasted veggies over the ricotta and top with 2 cups of the spinach. Add another 1 1/2 cups of marinara and another layer of noodles. Repeat with another 1 1/2 cups ricotta, the other half of the roasted vegetables, half of the mozzarella slices, the remaining 2 cups spinach, 1 1/2 cups of marinara, and then another layer of noodles. For the final layer, spread the remaining 1 1/2 cups ricotta, another layer of noodles, 1 1/2 cups of marinara, the remaining mozzarella slices, and then top with the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan.
• Bake for 1 hour covered with foil. Then remove the foil and bake until bubbly and beginning to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Rest the lasagna 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

LINDA'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium heat, cook beef until brown. Drain off all fat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, water, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir until combined and cook over medium heat until boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
• While sauce is simmering, blend cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and egg until smooth. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Spread 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover sauce with 3 noodles. Cover noodles with 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Top with 1/2 of the mozzarella. Place another layer of noodles and one of sauce over the mozzarella; top that with the cottage cheese mixture. Top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining sauce.
• Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top and bake 15 minutes more, until golden and bubbly.

LASAGNA A LA AMANDA

Steps:

• Crumble sausage with casings removed in large skillet and cook until no pink remains.
• Drain sausage on paper towels.
• Crumble hamburger in same pan and cook until no pink remains and drain on paper towels.
• Cook onion and garlic in leftover grease from meats. and toss in meat and both jars of sauce.
• Stir together and let simmer while you assemble the pasta in pan.
• In 13 x 9 pan, place 3 noodles in bottom. Cover with sauce and cover with cheese. Repeat until you have 4 layers.
• Cover with remaining cheese and drizzle with olive oil and parsley.
• Cover and bake 30 minutes at 350°.
• Remove foil and bake 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly.