Lasagna Verde Recipes

LASAGNE VERDI AL FORNO

Steps:

• For the pasta dough: Steam the spinach in a steamer or over boiling water until bright green, 2 minutes. Squeeze to remove excess moisture and process in a food processor to make a paste. Combine spinach with eggs, semolina, and salt and process until smooth. Stir in enough of the flour to make a smooth dough. Knead briefly, cover and set aside.
• For the ragu: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Saute bacon, carrot, celery and onion until onion is translucent. Stir in ground pork, ground beef and minced ham, and cook until browned. Stir in tomato paste, oregano and beef stock. (Reserve the chicken livers for later.) Season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes.
• For the bechamel: While the ragu is simmering, combine 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons flour in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk to make a roux. Remove from heat, let rest one minute, then whisk in warm milk. Return to heat, simmer 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Season with salt and nutmeg. Remove from heat.
• To cook pasta: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. On a floured surface, divide pasta dough into three portions. Roll each portion out to a thin sheet. Have ready an ice water bath. Cook each sheet 3 minutes in the boiling water; remove from the boiling water and dip in the ice water; drain and dry on a clean, dry cloth.
• To finish the ragu: Stir the chicken livers into the simmering sauce. Cook 1 minute, remove from heat and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 baking dish.
• To assemble lasagna: Place one pasta sheet in bottom of prepared baking dish. Spread one-third of the ragu, one-quarter of the bechamel, one-third of the ricotta, and one-quarter of the parmesan over the pasta. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining bechamel and parmesan and dot with butter.
• Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes, until top is golden brown.

LASAGNA VERDE

Steps:

• Assemble lasagna: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a greased 12 x 7 (2-quart) casserole dish, lay down a lasagna sheet, cutting to fit if necessary; spread 1 cup of Besciamella on top. Add another layer of pasta, then evenly spread 3/4 cup Pistachio Pesto on top, followed by 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmigiano. Repeat layering 2 more times for a total of 6 pasta layers. Finish with a final layer of pasta, 1 cup Besciamella, 1/2 cup Parmigiano, and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake, 25 minutes. Remove foil, then back another 10 minutes until top if golden brown. Let cool 15 minutes before plating. Garnish each serving with freshly cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of Parmigiano.
• In a food processor, add pistachios; pulse a few times to roughly chop. Use a chef's knife to roughly chop arugula, chives, basil, and parsley (a few stems are okay); add to the food processor. (It will seem like a lot of herbs, but just pack them down.) Add Parmigiano, along with a pinch of chile flakes and salt. Process on high speed, adding lemon juice and oil in a steady stream. (Turn off the motor to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary while processing.) Season to taste with salt. Makes 2 1/2-3 cups. (Store in airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days).
• In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, begin to melt butter. Meanwhile, roughly slice shallot and add to the butter, along with bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns. Once butter is bubbly, sprinkle in flour and stir constantly until the raw flour is cooked and smells nutty, 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; then slowly add milk while stirring constantly until mixture starts to thicken, 2-3 minutes. Besciamella is done when it coats the back of a spoon. Add nutmeg and season generously with salt to taste. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Remove Besciamella from heat and strain into the bowl; it should be the consistency of thick batter. (Stir in a few tablespoons water if it's too thick.) Cover the surface of the sauce with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming until assembly time. Makes 5½-6 cups. (Make ahead and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; bring to room temperature before using.)
• Lasagna sheets: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add enough salt to make it taste like the sea. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with ice water and set aside. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Parcook the lasagna sheets one at a time, in boiling water, for 60 seconds, then transfer to the ice bath for 15 seconds. Place parcooked sheet on the sheet pan and pat dry with a paper towel. Cover with a layer of parchment paper and repeat, creating a stack of sheets, each patted dry and separated by a layer of parchment.(Note: If using dried lasagna, cook according to manufacturer's instructions.)

MEXICAN LASAGNA VERDE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce in bottom of dish.
• Arrange 4 tortillas in bottom of dish (tear and overlap as necessary, to completely cover bottom.) Top with one-third each of the chicken, tomatoes, red onion, green chiles and cheese; drizzle with 1/3 cup of the remaining enchilada sauce.
• Arrange 3 tortillas over enchilada sauce (tear and overlap as necessary, to make new layer). Press down slightly. Top with one-third each of the chicken, tomatoes, red onion, green chiles and cheese; drizzle with 1/3 cup of the remaining enchilada sauce. Repeat to use up remaining tortillas and other ingredients.
• Bake uncovered about 40 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

LASAGNE VERDI ALLA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Saute pancetta in a large stockpot over medium-high heat until fat has rendered, 1 to 2 minutes. Add carrot, celery, onion, and oil. Cook and stir until vegetables have softened and onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add beef and pork. Cook, stirring and mashing meat into small crumbles, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes more.
• Stir wine into the stockpot and bring to a boil. Add tomato sauce and stir; pour in 1 cup broth. Reduce heat to low and partially cover the pot to allow steam to escape. Simmer sauce for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Pour 1 more cup of broth into the sauce. Continue simmering until thick, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Add more broth only if absolutely necessary; ragu should drop, not run, off a spoon.
• Start preparing pasta after sauce has been cooking for 1 1/2 hours. Bring water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Add spinach and cover until it returns to a boil. Stir gently and cook until spinach is heated through. Remove from heat, leave covered, and let cool.
• Drain spinach in a mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing it down with a fork to squeeze out as much water and possible; reserve the liquid. Puree spinach in a blender until smooth.
• Sift flour into a bowl. Make a well in the center; add eggs, spinach, and about 1 tablespoon of the reserved liquid. Mix together by hand or using the dough hook of a stand mixer, adding more liquid if needed. Knead until dough becomes a smooth ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Taste the ragu and adjust salt. Remove from heat and add milk; stir well and set aside to cool.
• Divide pasta dough into 4 equal sections. Use a pasta machine, or rolling pin, dusted with flour, to roll pasta into 1/16-inch thick sheets. Lay sheets on clean dish towels to help them dry. Let rest for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Do not allow it to brown or burn. Add flour and whisk constantly until golden. Add 1/2 cup milk, whisking constantly. Repeat with remaining milk. Simmer until bechamel is thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with nutmeg and salt.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Spread a bit of the ragu sauce over the base of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of pasta. Top with a spoonful of sauce and bechamel. Add a spoonful of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Top with another layer of pasta. Add more sauce, bechamel, and cheese. Repeat layers until you reach the top; finish with a layer of pasta, bechamel, and cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese on top has browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Let lasagne rest for 10 or 15 minutes at room temperature before slicing.

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.