Tag Archives: Lasagna

Lasagna with Homemade Pasta Noodles

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I hadn’t made lasagna in a long time and I wanted to try it with homemade noodles.  This turned out to be the best lasagna I’ve ever had!

Ricotta Filling

  • 1 lb. Ricotta (drained*)
  • 1 Egg beaten
  • 1/2 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 1/4 Cup Italian Parsley, Chopped
  • Sea Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Freshly ground nutmeg**

*Put your Ricotta in a strainer over a bowl and let sit for approximately 1 hour – you will be amazed at how much liquid drains out.  This produces a lasagna that is not runny!

**Fresh nutmeg is fantastic – this adds a great taste to your ricotta filling!

Mix all ingredients together well, allow to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes to set up.

Marinara Sauce

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis Recipe

Directions

  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 small onions, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 1/2 lb. sausage & 1/2 lb. ground beef*

In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

* I made this sauce over the summer with fresh tomatoes and froze quite a few containers as it can be used as a base for many recipes.  For this lasagna I added sausage and beef to the marinara recipe.  I browned the sausage and beef together and added to my sauce.

Homemade Lasagna Noodles

For the noodles I used my “go to” pasta dough recipe.  I rolled out my dough and cut my noodles to measure in wide strips.  Boil water and add noodles 2 – 3 at a time and cook for approximately 1 minute (fresh pasta cooks up fast and you don’t want your noodles overcooked).  Repeat the process until all noodles have been cooked.

Assembly

Spread a small amount of sauce on the bottom of a lasagna pan.  Place 3 noodles over sauce.  Spread sauce mixture over noodles along with Ricotta filling and top with 3 more noodles.  Repeat until all noodles have been used, ending with noodles on top, spreading with a small amount of sauce on top of the noodles.  You can do 3 or 4 layers of noodles.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for approximately 1 hour and let sit, covered in foil for approximately 15 minutes before serving.  Cut into serving sizes and be prepared for a wonderful taste sensation! 

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