Best 4 Chef Johns Lasagna Recipes

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.

CHEF JOHN'S LASAGNA RECIPE - (4.7/5)

Steps:

• Place sausage and ground beef into a large saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until meat is browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Break the meat apart as it cooks. Stir in mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, Italian herb seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Turn heat to medium-high and cook until mushrooms have given off their juices and bottom of pan is almost dry. Pour prepared marinara sauce into meat mixture. Pour water into marinara sauce jar and shake to get all the sauce out of the jar; add to mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer until meat is extremely tender, about 2 hours. Add a little more water if sauce becomes too thick. Skim excess fat from surface of the sauce and season with more salt and black pepper, if needed. Turn off heat. Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit (190 degrees C). Beat eggs in a large bowl and stir in ricotta cheese, 8 ounces diced mozzarella cheese, and 2/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Season cheese mixture with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and cayenne pepper; mix in parsley. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse noodles and set aside in a bowl of cold water. Spread 1/4 the sauce into the bottom of a 10x15-inch baking pan. Top with 1/3 the noodles and spread 1/2 the ricotta cheese mixture over noodles. Spread 1/4 the meat sauce over the cheese, top with 1/3 the noodles, and spread remaining 1/2 the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Spread 1/4 the meat sauce over the cheese filling. Tap the casserole dish lightly on a sturdy work surface to settle the layers. Arrange last 1/3 the noodles over sauce and spread remaining 1/4 the sauce over the noodles. Dot top of the casserole with 4 ounces diced fresh mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Cover casserole with aluminum foil, being sure not to touch the top of the casserole with the foil. Place casserole onto a baking sheet to catch spills. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook until lasagna is golden brown and bubbling, 30 to 35 more minutes. Let set for 20 minutes before cutting into squares.

POLENTA LASAGNA LOAF

Steps:

• Prepare polenta: Bring water and salt to a boil over high heat. Whisk polenta into the boiling water and continue whisking until it starts to thicken, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until polenta is soft and has lost its grainy texture, 25 to 40 minutes.
• Remove polenta from the stove and quickly whisk in butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
• Transfer polenta to a silicone baking liner (or oiled foil or parchment paper). Spread it out evenly almost to the edges into an 8x13-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and smooth out the top with your hands. Place a baking sheet on top and press slightly to further flatten.
• Slide the silicone liner and polenta onto the baking sheet and place in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.
• Remove polenta from the refrigerator and cut, from one long edge to the other, into 8-inch long strips.
• Prepare filling: Stir ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, mozzarella, salt, pepper, cayenne, egg, and parsley in a bowl until well combined.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a loaf pan with 1 tablespoon oil.
• Place one strip of polenta into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Spread 1/3 of the filling on top as evenly as you can. Top with about 1 cup hot meat sauce. Repeat polenta-filling-sauce layers twice more. Place the last piece of polenta on top, then gently shake and tap the pan to settle the contents. Place the loaf pan on top of a sheet pan to catch any spills while baking. Loosely wrap the top of the loaf pan with foil, making sure it's not touching the polenta.
• Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 1 hour.
• Remove from the oven, discard foil, and let rest for at least 15 minutes.
• Divide onto 6 plates. Garnish with parsley and serve with additional sauce.

PANCAKE LASAGNA FOR ONE (OR MORE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Set out 4 small, shallow, oven-proof baking dishes or ramekins.
• Combine eggs, salt, olive oil, water, and flour for pancakes in a large bowl. Whisk thoroughly until very smooth, then let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
• Brush oil into a nonstick skillet and set heat to medium. When the skillet is hot, add about 1/4 cup batter and tilt the pan so it evenly coats the bottom. Cook until the batter sets and the top surface goes from looking wet to dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for 1 minute. Transfer to a plate and repeat to make remaining 3 pancakes. Cut each pancake into 3 triangles.
• Combine ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, cayenne, basil, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for filling in a bowl; mix with a fork until thoroughly combined.
• Prepare lasagnas: Spread 2 tablespoons marinara sauce into the bottom of each baking dish. Lay 1 pancake triangle on the sauce, then top with about 2 tablespoons ricotta filling, 1 tablespoon Monterey Jack cheese, and 2 teaspoons marinara. Repeat to create another layer, slightly pressing down on the second pancake triangle before topping with filling and cheese. Top with the remaining pancake triangle, pressing down slightly. Add remaining marinara and Monterey Jack, sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano, and drizzle with olive oil.
• Place the baking dishes on a large sheet pan and bake in the center of the preheated oven until lightly browned and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then garnish with basil and serve.