Lasagna Nonna Recipes

NONNA'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• To make the pasta, follow the directions for Homemade Egg Pasta. After rolling, cut into 12 inch long strips, then precook in boiling water for 30 seconds and place in ice water.
• Dry and set aside on clean kitchen towels.
• To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a saucepan and once hot add the pork bones over medium heat and cook until well browned. Add the onion and continue cooking until it is tender. Add the garlic and stir well, cooking an additional minute. Finally add the puree, paste and 1 cup of water.
• Next add the oregano, 1/2 cup of the parsley, the basil, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
• Taking the ground beef (or beef/veal mix), and add the egg, bread crumbs, 1/4 parsley, 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese and salt and pepper. Add the milk to the bread cubes and soak. Once the bread is soft use your fingers to break it up and then add it to the meat mixture. Mix all the ingredients together well with your hands, and then roll into small 1 inch sized meatballs and drop carefully in the sauce.
• Continue cooking the sauce for about 2 hours over low heat, adding additional water as needed if the sauce becomes too thick.
• Remove the meatballs and the pork bones from the sauce with a slotted spoon and place into a small bowl when the sauce is complete.
• To assemble the lasagne, add about 1/2 cup of sauce to the bottom of a large lasagne pan, then add a little water and mix.Make an overlapping layer of the noodles across the bottom of the pan. Spread a large spoonful of sauce on top, making sure the noodles are well covered. Add one more layer of noodles and sauce, and then add a layer of the mozzarella slices. Continue in this manner until you have 5 layers.
• On the top, cover the noodles well with the sauce, place another layer of mozzarella, then sprinkle on the parmesan. To finish, evenly place the meatballs across the top surface.
• Cover with foil, and bake in a preheated 375 degree F. oven for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook another 10 minutes. Let rest an additional 10 minutes before serving.

LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• For Nonna's bolognese sauce: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, then add the carrots, celery, garlic and shallots. Continue to saute until the beef is fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain any excess fat and then add the wine. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the marinara sauce and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a medium simmer and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt. Remove from the heat, transfer to a dish and let cool for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For Nonna's signature ricotta: Put the ricotta, cream, garlic, shallots, dried basil, oregano, and chile flakes in a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine until there are no lumps. Season with salt. Set aside.
• For the lasagna bolognese: Prepare a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish by coating the bottom with 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce, spreading it out evenly. Arrange a layer of the lasagna noodles to completely cover the sauce. Add a third of the ricotta mix and spread evenly. Add a quarter of the cooled bolognese sauce and spread evenly. Repeat this process layering two more layers of lasagna sheets, ricotta mix and bolognese sauce for a total of three layers.
• After finishing the third layer of sauce, arrange a fourth layer of lasagna sheets on top and cover it with the remaining 1/2 cup marinara. Then sprinkle with the Parmesan and lightly cover the entire top with the Italian cheese blend. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil.
• Place the lasagna on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until the lasagna is hot and bubbly, about 1 hour. Remove the foil and plastic wrap and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Let set 10 minutes before serving.
• To serve: Cut into 6 servings and top each serving with the remaining bolognese sauce, Parmesan, Italian cheese blend and fresh basil.