Authentic Italian Recipes from Italy


                          

                          

                                

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     Easy Lasagna Header

                                    Easy Lasagna
   Easy Lasagna Photo
  Rating:        
Category: Lasagna, Pasta
Servings: 4 - 8
Total time: 1 hr 20 min
Level: Easy
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An authentic Italian recipe from our kitchen to yours. Buon Appetito!

Ingredients

- 1 box pasta for lasagna or 1 recipe Homemade Pasta for Cannelloni and Lasagna

- 1 large can tomato sauce or tomato puree (28 ounces)

- 1 pound ground beef

- 1/2 onion, minced

- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

- 2/3 cup white wine

- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

- 1 package frozen peas (12 ounces)

- 1 package frozen mixed mushrooms (10 ounces)

- 1 container ricotta cheese (16 ounces)

- 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese + more for topping and serving

- Salt

Directions

1.  In a large skillet, prepare the sauce by adding the olive oil, garlic and onion. Heat the skillet over medium heat until the garlic and onions begin to sizzle in the oil.

2.  Add the White wine to the skillet and simmer, covered, for 5 - 7 minutes until the wine has almost evaporated from the pan.

3.  Add the ground beef and nutmeg to the skillet, and as the meat begins to cook, break it up into small pieces using a fork. Sauté the mix until the meat begins to brown.

 

 

 

4.  Add the frozen peas and mushrooms to the pan along with 1/3 cup fresh water. Cover the pan and simmer the mix for 5 - 7 minutes or until the peas and mushrooms begin to thaw.

5.  Once the peas and mushrooms begin to thaw, add the tomato sauce or tomato puree to the skillet. Fill the now empty tomato can halfway with water and add the water to the skillet. Bring the sauce to a quick simmer, cover and cook for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6.  After 15 - 20 minutes, check the sauce and taste. Add salt as needed. If the sauce is too thin, uncover the pan and raise the heat to medium-high. Simmer the sauce until it reduces to your desired consistency. If the sauce is too thick, add fresh water to the sauce as needed to thin to your preference.

7.  When the sauce is ready, turn off the heat and let the sauce cool.

8.  While the sauce is cooling, prepare the pasta for the lasagna according to the manufacturer's instructions, and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

9.  Line an oven safe baking dish with parchment paper.

10.  Spoon 2/3 cup of the sauce for the lasagna into a bowl and set aside.

11.  Add the ricotta and 1/3 cup parmigiano to the pan with the sauce for the lasagna. Stir the ingredients into the sauce to combine very well.

12.  Spoon a generous spoonful or 2 of the reserved sauce (sauce without the ricotta) onto the parchment paper in the bottom of the baking dish. Spread the sauce around well to evenly coat the parchment paper at the bottom of the dish.

13.  Add the first layer of pasta to the baking dish, and then spoon a generous spoonful of the sauce containing the ricotta over the pasta. Spread the filling thinly, yet evenly over the pasta, making sure to reach the corners so that the pasta does not dry out during baking. Sprinkle a small amount of parmigiano over the filling. Then proceed by adding another later of pasta, followed by another thin layer of filling and a dusting of parmigiano. Continue this process until you have at least 4 layers of pasta.

14.  Over the last layer of pasta, spread the remaining reserved sauce (without ricotta). Top the lasagna with a generous dusting of parmigiano.

15.  Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place the dish in the bottom rack of the oven. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.

16.  After 25 - 30 minutes, uncover the lasagna and bake another 10 minutes more to brown the cheese on top.

17.  When the lasagna is finished cooking, remove it from the oven and let it cool for approximately 10 minutes before serving. Serve with extra parmigiano.