INGREDIENT CORNER
Lasagna
By Christopher A. Costantino
May 20, 2023
When I think of a quintessential Italian family meal, I think of lasagna. I've been to Italy many times and have never seen it on a menu there. That got me looking into the origins. Is it like spaghetti and meatballs - an Italian/American creation?
It turns out, it is classically Italian. It originate in the sixteenth or seventeenth century in Naples. MORE ABOUT ORIGIN...
This first recipe is a classic Lasagna Bolognese.
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Lasagna Bolognese
YIELD: 8 servings
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MEAT SAUCE
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/3 pound each ground beef, veal and pork
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup heavy cream
2 jars Costantino's Kitchen Tomato Basil
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LASAGNA
15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese (1¾ cups)
2½ ounces Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
1 pound whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
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SAUCE
Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes.
Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the ground meat, salt, and pepper; cook, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the meat loses its raw color but has not browned, about 4 minutes.
Add the cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates and only the fat remains, about 4 minutes.
Add the pureed and drained diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer; reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly until the flavors are blended, about 3 minutes.
Set the sauce aside. (The sauce can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for 2 days; reheat before assembling the lasagna.)
LASAGNA
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375° F.
Mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the Parmesan, the basil, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl with a fork until well combined and creamy; set aside.
Smear the entire bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with ¼ cup of the meat sauce (avoiding large chunks of meat). Place 3 noodles in the baking dish to create the first layer. Drop 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture down the center of each noodle and level the domed mounds by pressing with the back side of a measuring spoon. Sprinkle the layer evenly with 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Spoon 1½ cups of the meat sauce evenly over the cheese. Repeat the layering of noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, and sauce two more times. Place the 3 remaining noodles on top of the sauce, spread the remaining sauce over the noodles, sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella, then with the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan.
Lightly spray a large sheet of foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover the lasagna.
Bake 15 minutes, then remove the foil. Return the lasagna to the oven and continue to bake until the cheese is spotty brown and the sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes longer. Cool the lasagna about 10 minutes; cut into pieces and serve.
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The second recipe has been in our family for generations. When I was a child, my great aunt used to make it for parties and it was a huge hit. When I got a little older, my uncle Brent taught me how to make it. We always called it simply "Spinach Lasagna", but for all my vegetarian friends, I have renamed it to avoid confusion.
Start by gathering your ingredients:
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• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ pound hamburger
• ¼ pound Italian sausage
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Costantino's Kitchen Italian Herb Blend
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• 1 package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
• 26 ounces cream of mushroom soup
• 13 ounces milk
• ½ pound lasagna noodles
• 1 pound cheddar/jack cheese, grated
• ¼ pound muenster cheese, sliced
• 2 cups Costantino's Kitchen Tomato/Basil Pasta Sauce
• Parmesan cheese
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The first step is to mince the onion and garlic. I usually cheat and purchase the garlic in the tube. It's not quite as good as fresh garlic, but is MUCH easier. Add them to a sauté pan and cook until they are translucent.
Add the hamburger and Italian sausage and brown them as well. I usually get these from the meat counter so I don't have to purchase an entire pound. If they don't carry bulk sausage, I find that one link is usually between ¼ and ⅓ of a pound, so that works perfectly.
While that browns, combine the soup and milk and whisk to combine. This is the one exception I have to my ban of "cream of..." soups. If you really wanted to make a béchamel sauce and add some sautéed mushrooms, that might be a good substitute. Prepare a 13x9 pan by spraying it with some cooking spray. Add 1 cup of the mushroom mixture to the bottom of the pan and spread to form a thin layer. This will solve the problem of some lasagnas that have a crusty bottom layer. Add the lasagna noodles in a single layer, breaking as needed to fill the entire pan.
Remove the spinach from the package and squeeze all the water out of it. I find that using a strainer makes this task easier. Once the meat is browned, add the Italian Herb Blend, spinach and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well so that the spinach is broken up and well incorporated. Add all but 2 cups of the mushroom mixture to the meat and stir well.
Begin layering your lasagna by adding one third of the spinach mixture onto the noodles. Add one third of the cheddar/jack cheese, then finish with another layer of noodles. Repeat this process twice, building your lasagna. In a single layer, add the muenster cheese to the top of the final layer. Add the remaining mushroom soup to the top and spread to coat evenly.
Spoon the sauce over the top and spread evenly. It will mix into the soup and that's okay. Sprinkle the top generously with parmesan cheese.
At this point, you can cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake. This is a great dish to make in the morning and then put in the oven when your company arrives. When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350º F. Bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly and a knife easily pierces the noodles.
Allow it to cool and set for approximately 10 minutes, then cut, serve and eat. Buon Appetito!
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Spinach/Sausage Lasagna
YIELD: 8 servings
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½ cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ pound hamburger
1/4 pound Italian sausage
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Costantino's Kitchen Italian Herb Blend
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1 package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
26 ounces cream of mushroom soup
13 ounces milk
½ pound lasagna noodles
1 pound cheddar/jack cheese, grated
¼ pound muenster cheese, sliced
2 cups Costantino's Kitchen Tomato/Basil Pasta Sauce
Parmesan cheese
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Cook onion and garlic in olive oil until soft and translucent. Add hamburger and Italian sausage and brown.
Add Worcestershire, salt, Italian seasoning, spinach, oregano and basil.
Combine soup with milk and whisk to combine. Add a couple small ladles to the meat mixture.
Spray the bottom of a 13x9 pan and spread a thin layer of the mushroom sauce.
Build the lasagna, alternating noodles, meat sauce, cheddar/jack cheese, making three layers.
Top with muenster cheese.
Pour remaining mushroom soup mix over the top.
Pour over tomato sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes or until it bubbles.
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