Lasagna Two-Ways
Lasagna in itself is not a difficult dish to make but once you decide to make every ingredient of it from scratch, it proves to be a time-consuming task.
If you`re comfortable cooking without the detailed explanation, feel free to skip it on the link below.
To make the dough you will need a large, clean, dry surface to start with.
Mix 3 cups of flour with ¾ teaspoon of salt. Place it on the surface and make a well, making sure to leave about a ¼ inch thickness on the bottom.
Note: Have 1+ Cup of flour and ¼ Cup of warm water on the side to add to your dough as needed.
Add the 4 whole eggs and two yolks to the center carefully.
With a fork, begin whisking the eggs slowly to incorporate the flour from the bottom into the eggs. Little by little start bringing flour from the walls into the middle until the eggs aren`t running anymore.
Note: if the eggs fall from the well, just scoop them back in and keep going.
Wedge the dough with your hands to finish incorporating all of the flour. Spritz water if your dough becomes too dry and add more flour if you feel it`s too wet. This dough is a little bit tougher than our usual pasta dough.
Once the dough is solid and not wet, make a ball and flatten. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
After its resting time, the dough should feel a little softer than it was. Unwrap it and split it in 4 pieces. Shape each one into flat ovals.
In a pasta machine, set the thickness to #1 (the thickest setting), dust the dough and roll it through once. Dust again, set it to #3 and roll it through again. Repeat this process on #5 and then #7. Dust the long sheet with flour and reserve.
Note: If you don`t have a pasta machine, cut the dough into smaller pieces and roll them slowly, adding flour as you go, until the dough is about 1-2mm thick.
Repeat this last step with the rest of the dough. It`s ready to use.
We made Bolognese and Bechamel for our Meat Lasagna, and Ricotta and Spinach for the “Vegetarian” one.
For the Bolognese chop onion, carrot, celery and potato into small pieces and add them to a large pot with 2 tablespoons of oil. Sauté on medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking and burning.
Mince the garlic and add it to the pot with tomato paste. Cook for another minute or so.
Roughly chop bacon and add it to the pot with the minced pork and beef. Cook for 7-8 minutes, or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add a ¼ Cup of red wine to deglaze it, make sure to scrape all the bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Puree the can of tomatoes with a hand blender and add it to the pot with broth, dry spices, milk, parm rind, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring it all to a boil and lower the heat to simmer.
Cover and cook for about 40 minutes.
The sauce should have a darker colour and thicker texture at this point, add freshly grated parmesan and taste it. Adjust seasonings to your taste.
The Bechamel is simple to make but requires your full attention so make sure you that`s all you`re gonna make for the next 10 minutes.
Start by preparing your mise-en-place, have one bowl ready with 2 Cups of warm milk (microwave for a minute or so or do it in a small pot but don`t boil it), and another bowl with your cheese and nutmeg.
To make a roux, melt the butter in a small pot on low-medium heat. Once fully melted, add the flour and mix with a rubber whisk vigorously until the mixture looks like wet sand. Keep whisking constantly until the roux takes on a pale-yellow colour.
While whisking, add the milk 2 tablespoons at a time until fully incorporated.
Bring it to a boil and lower the heat. Cook for about 5-6 minutes stirring constantly until it becomes creamy.
Add nutmeg and parmesan, – still stirring, – taste it, and add salt to taste.
Reserve the Bechamel in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap is touching the sauce so there is no air in between them. Keep it in a warm place.
You can make the Ricotta for the Spinach Lasagna at home (see the recipe from yesterday!) or buy it from the store, they both work fine. As for the spinach, start by finely chopping a half Spanish onion and slicing cleaned mushrooms.
In a large pan, add one tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the onion on medium heat until tender (about 3 minutes). Mince the garlic and add it to the pot, cook for another minute or so. Add mushrooms and spinach, one cup at a time to not crowd the pan. Add a splash of water halfway through to help steam and wilt the spinach. Once all the spinach leaves are wilted, salt and pepper to taste and reserve to come to room temperature.
Mix the ricotta with spinach and ¾ of the mozzarella cheese and parmesan to make it easier to assemble the lasagna.
To assemble your meat lasagna, keep Bolognese, Bechamel, Ricotta, Cheeses and Pasta all at hand.
Coat all sides of the dish with a light layer of the meat sauce. Lay the first layer of pasta, another layer of Bolognese, a light layer of bechamel. The following layer should be Bolognese, dollops of ricotta and a light layer of cheese.
Repeat this process alternating the layers all the way to the top. Finish with one layer of pasta and the rest of the cheese blend.
Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350F for 45-55 minutes. Uncover the lasagna, return to oven and raise the temperature to “broil”. Cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the top is browning and bubbly.
Remove and let rest for 45 minutes before cutting into it to allow the layers to set.
To assemble your veggie lasagna, keep Spinach Mix, Bechamel, Ricotta, Cheeses, Pasta, and Tomato Sauce all at hand.
Coat the bottom of the pan with a light layer of tomato sauce. Layer the pasta, another light layer of tomato sauce, spinach mix and bechamel. Repeat this process all the way to the top making sure to add sauce to the sides of the dish. The final layer should be pasta topped with the rest of the cheese.
Cover, and cook for 45-55 minutes at 350F. It should be starting to bubble on top. Uncover, place the dish back in the oven, raise the heat to “broil” and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Until the top is browned and bubbly.
Remove and let rest for 45 minutes before cutting into it to allow the layers to set.
Lasagna Two-Ways
Dough
Servings: 6-8
Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
3+ Cup Flour
4 Eggs + 2 Yolks
3/4 tsp salt
Step-by-Step
1. On a clean and large surface, mix flour and salt and make a well, leaving a ¼ inch of flour in the middle. Add the eggs to the middle and start mixing with a fork slowly bringing in flour from the walls – If the eggs come out of the well, simply scoop them back in and rebuild the wall.
2. Once everything is somewhat mixed, wedge the mixture with your hands to form a solid dough, splash warm water occasionally if the dough feels too dry. Add more flour as you need until the dough is smooth and not sticky. Note: This dough should be a little bit on the tough side.
3. Make a ball with the dough, flatten it and cover in plastic wrap. Let it rest for about 20 minutes.
4. Cut the dough in 4 pieces, flatten each piece with your hands into oval shapes.
5. Dust flour on both sides of the dough and roll it in a pasta machine on #1 (thickest setting). Repeat this process on #3, then #5 and #7.
6. Cut the long strands to fit into your lasagna dish and separate by dusting flour between them.
Meat Version
Servings: 4-6
Time: 2h30
Ingredients
Fresh Lasagna Sheets (Boxed is okay, look for special instructions)
3+ Cups Bolognese Sauce (Recipe Below)
1 Cup Bechamel
1 Cup Ricotta (Check out our recipe for Homemade Ricotta)
1+ Cup Mozzarella
1+ Cup Parmesan
Step-by-Step
1. Mix the two cheeses.
2. Start with a light layer of Bolognese to the bottom of your baking dish of choice. Carefully lay one layer of lasagna sheets, top it with a light layer of Bolognese, Bechamel and then Cheese. Repeat all the way to the top – You should have about 7 layers. Cover with foil and place on a baking tray with parchment in case of leaks.
3. In a pre-heated oven at 350F, bake for about 45-55 minutes. – until bubbly on top, – and beginning to brown. Uncover the lasagna and return to oven. Turn the heat up to broil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the top is mostly browned and crispy.
4. Let the lasagna rest out of the oven for about 45 minutes before cutting and serving.
Boxed Pasta Sheet: These noodles are usually thicker, so you should have less layers. Cook covered for about 1h15 and broil for another 15 minutes.
Bolognese Sauce
Servings: About 1 Quart
Time: 1 Hour
Ingredients
½ Onion
½ Carrot
1 Celery
2 Garlic Cloves
2 Tbsp oil
½ Tbsp Tomato Paste
500g Ground Beef
500g Ground Pork
2 Slices Bacon
¼ Cup Red Wine
2 Cups Beef Broth
1 Can Whole Tomatoes (28oz)
½ Cup Parmesan or Provolone (optional)
Parmesan Rinds (optional)
1 Yukon Gold Potato
¼ Cup Milk
1 tsp Dry Basil
1 tsp Dry Oregano
1 tsp Dry Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
Salt and Pepper to taste
Step-by-Step
1. In a large pot, sauté roughly chopped onion, peeled potato, carrot and celery on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute.
2. Add chopped bacon, beef and pork and cook for another 7-8 minutes.
3. Deglaze the pot with red wine, making sure to scrape all the bits from the bottom.
4. Add pureed tomatoes, broth, herbs, parmesan rinds, milk, 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of cracked black pepper. Bring it to a boil and lower the heat to low, cover and cook for about 40 minutes.
5. Add parmesan, taste it and add salt and pepper to taste.
Bechamel
Servings: 1 1/2 Cup
Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
3 Tbsp Butter
3 Tbsp Flour
2 Cups Milk
½ Cup Parmesan
¼ tsp Nutmeg
Salt to taste
Step-by-Step
1. Make a Roux: Melt the butter in a medium pot on medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and stir vigorously with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon (very important). Cook the mixture for about 2 minutes until it has a pale-yellow colour.
2. Warm the milk in a microwave for about 1 minute until warm. Add the warm milk to the roux 2 Tbsps at a time stirring constantly.
3. Bring to a boil and lower it, cook for about 6 minutes stirring constantly until it takes on a creamy texture.
4. Add nutmeg, parmesan and salt to taste.
5. Reserve in a separate bowl and cover with plastic wrap (touch the wrap to the sauce so there’s no air between them). Keep it in a warm place.
Veggie Version
Servings: 4-6
Time: 20 min to make, 1h15 to bake
Ingredients
Fresh Lasagna Sheets (Boxed is okay, look for special instructions)
1-2 Cups Ricotta (Check out our Homemade Ricotta Recipe!)
4-5 Cups Fresh Spinach
1 Garlic Clove
½ Spanish Onion (Medium)
1 Cups Cremini or White Button Mushrooms (Optional)
Salt and Pepper
1 Cup Tomato Sauce
1 Cup Mozzarella
1 Cup Parmesan
1+ Cup Bechamel
Step-by-Step
1. In a large pan, sauté chopped onion on medium heat for 8 minutes. Add minced garlic, sliced mushrooms and spinach (1 cup at a time) and 1 tbsp of water until all the spinach is wilted and mixed in (about 4-5 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Mix the Ricotta, cooked Spinach and ¾ of the Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses.
3. Start with a light layer of Tomato Sauce to the bottom of your baking dish of choice. Carefully lay one layer of lasagna sheets, top it with a light layer of the Ricotta mix, Tomato Sauce and then Peas. Repeat all the way to the top – You should have about 7 layers. Cover with foil and place on a baking tray with parchment in case of leaks.
4. In a pre-heated oven at 350F, bake for about 45 minutes. – until bubbly on top, – and beginning to brown. Uncover the lasagna and return to oven. Turn the heat up to broil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the top is mostly browned and crispy.
5. Let the lasagna rest out of the oven for about 45 minutes before cutting and serving.
Boxed Pasta Sheet: These noodles are usually thicker, so you should have less layers. Cook covered for about 1h15 and broil for another 15 minutes.
