Lasagna is a classic Italian dish that is loved by people all over the world. It is a delicious and hearty casserole made with layers of pasta, cheese, and sauce. Traditional lasagna is made with a Bolognese sauce, which is a slow-cooked meat sauce made with ground beef, pork, and vegetables. However, there are many different variations of lasagna, including vegetarian and seafood versions. This article features three delicious lasagna recipes: a classic lasagna, a vegetarian lasagna, and a seafood lasagna. Each recipe includes step-by-step instructions and a list of ingredients. Whether you are a lasagna lover or you are looking for a new dish to try, you are sure to find a recipe in this article that you will enjoy.
**Classic Lasagna:**
This recipe is a classic lasagna made with a Bolognese sauce, béchamel sauce, and three types of cheese: ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
**Vegetarian Lasagna:**
This recipe is a vegetarian lasagna made with a hearty vegetable ragu, béchamel sauce, and three types of cheese: ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
**Seafood Lasagna:**
This recipe is a seafood lasagna made with a creamy seafood sauce, béchamel sauce, and three types of cheese: ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
BEST LASAGNA
Want to know how to make lasagna for a casual holiday meal? You can't go wrong with this deliciously rich meat lasagna recipe. My grown sons and daughter-in-law request it for their birthdays, too. -Pam Thompson, Girard, Illinois
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h50m
Yield 12 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook sausage, beef and onion over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, breaking up meat into crumbles. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Drain., Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar, 3 tablespoons parsley, basil, fennel, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally., In a small bowl, mix egg, ricotta cheese and remaining parsley and salt., Preheat oven to 375°. Spread 2 cups meat sauce into an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with 3 noodles and a third of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining meat sauce and cheeses (dish will be full)., Bake, covered, 25 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 25 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 519 calories, Fat 27g fat (13g saturated fat), Cholesterol 109mg cholesterol, Sodium 1013mg sodium, Carbohydrate 35g carbohydrate (10g sugars, Fiber 4g fiber), Protein 35g protein.
THE BEST LASAGNA
A long-simmered beef ragu lets the brightness of the tomatoes shine through while developing a meaty richness. Our ricotta is mixed with nutty Parmesan that tempers the sharp garlic and adds flavor. We worked hard to get the right balance of the ricotta and tomato sauce in the layers since each element has their own voice. Our lasagna also uses less mozzarella than many other recipes - we prefer the creaminess of ricotta over the stringiness of melted mozzarella. Look for the shorter noodles - you won't need to cut them when assembling the lasagna.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 5h
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Place the beef in a large bowl and "pull" it apart with two forks as if you were shredding pulled pork, breaking up the clumps and loosening the meat without compacting it.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the meat is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to a large bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Spread the beef in an even layer in the same pot and cook undisturbed until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, breaking up any clumps and scraping up any browned bits from the pot, until the meat is browned and completely cooked, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the browned meat with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the pancetta, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrots, celery, onions, half the garlic, the bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it's very fragrant and brick red colored, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, bring to a boil and reduce until the liquid is very thick and no smell of alcohol remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the reserved pancetta and beef, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Add the basil and Parmesan rind and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce resembles sloppy joes, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. There shouldn't be any rapid bubbles while cooking. Instead, the ragu should release occasional small bubbles. If the ragu reduces too quickly, add 1/2 cup of water and continue cooking. Repeat if necessary. The ragu needs the full 2 to 2 1/2 hour cook time to develop the flavors.
- Discard the bay leaf, basil and Parmesan rind. Break up any remaining clumps of meat with the back of a spoon, making an even textured sauce. Season with salt and set aside until ready to assemble.
- Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the noodles, stirring occasionally and separating them to prevent sticking, until softened and bendable but are still hard and chalky in the center, about 5 minutes. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl of cold water and set aside until ready to assemble.
- Stir together the ricotta, 1 cup of the Parmesan, the remaining grated garlic and 2 teaspoons salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside until ready to assemble.
- Lightly oil a 13-by-9-inch glass or ceramic baking pan. Spread 1 cup of the ragu evenly in the bottom of the pan. Lay a single layer of noodles over the ragu (if you're using long noodles, you will need to cut some noodles to fill the gaps). Spread 1 1/2 cups of the ragu over the noodles. Dollop 3/4 cup of the ricotta mixture over the ragu and spread lightly with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, followed by another layer of noodles. Repeat with the remaining pasta, ragu, ricotta mixture and mozzarella, creating 4 layers of pasta and ending with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. (The lasagna should come just above the top of the pan but it will sink down slightly as it cooks.) Top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
- Lightly oil a piece of foil and cover the pan. Put the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake the lasagna until bubbling gently around the edges, about 1 hour.
- Remove the lasagna from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Remove the foil and then continue to bake the lasagna until the top is browned and crisp around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
WORLD'S BEST LASAGNA
It takes a little work, but it is worth it.
Provided by John Chandler
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 3h15m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 20
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 448.2 calories, Carbohydrate 36.5 g, Cholesterol 81.8 mg, Fat 21.3 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 29.7 g, SaturatedFat 9.9 g, Sodium 1400.4 mg, Sugar 8.6 g
CLASSIC LASAGNA
While not a 30-minute meal, this lasagna is quicker and more straightforward than most. If you're in a real time crunch, use your favorite jarred red sauce. For greater success with the lasagna noodles, which have a tendency to stick together, boil them in the largest pot possible or work in batches - they need as much water as possible to move freely so they don't clump. This lasagna can be assembled, baked and refrigerated up to five days ahead, or frozen up to a month ahead if wrapped tightly.
Provided by Alison Roman
Categories dinner, weekday, weeknight, casseroles, pastas, main course
Time 2h
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Make the sauce: Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add sausage, if using, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it's starting to brown but not yet crisp, about 5 minutes.
- Add onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is totally softened and translucent (without letting it brown), 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring until the tomato paste has turned a deeper brick red color, tinting the oil and onions a fiery orange color, about 2 minutes.
- Using your hands, crush the whole tomatoes into smaller, bite-size pieces and add them and the crushed tomatoes, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Fill one of the tomato cans halfway with water and add it to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato sauce has thickened and flavors have come together, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Make the lasagna: Heat oven to 375 degrees and set a large pot of salted water to boil.
- Set aside 1 cup mozzarella. In a medium bowl, combine remaining mozzarella, ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan and cream; season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Cook lasagna noodles in the large pot of salted boiling water until just softened (before they are even aldente), about 4 minutes. Drain and separate any noodles that are trying to stick together, slicking them with a bit of olive oil to prevent them from sticking further.
- Spoon a bit of sauce on the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish and top with a layer of noodles, avoiding any heavy overlap.
- Top with about 1 ¼ cups of sauce, and dollop ¼ of the cheese mixture over. Top with another layer of noodles and repeat three more times, ending with the last of the noodles (depending on size of the noodle/shape of the baking dish, you may have a few extra noodles) and the last of the sauce. Top with reserved 1 cup mozzarella and more Parmesan, if you like.
- Cover loosely with aluminum foil and place baking dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet (to prevent any overflow from burning on the bottom of your oven).
- Bake until pasta is completely tender and cooked through and sauce is bubbling up around the edges, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and increase temperature to 450 degrees. Continue to bake until lasagna is golden brown on top with frilly, crispy edges and corners, another 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 938, UnsaturatedFat 29 grams, Carbohydrate 61 grams, Fat 58 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 44 grams, SaturatedFat 26 grams, Sodium 1333 milligrams, Sugar 11 grams
Tips:
- Choose the Right Lasagna Noodles: Use high-quality, no-boil lasagna noodles to ensure they cook evenly and don't become mushy.
- Layer Wisely: Begin with a layer of sauce, followed by noodles, ricotta cheese mixture, and Parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with a final layer of sauce and cheese.
- Don't Overcook the Sauce: Simmer the sauce for at least 30 minutes, but not longer than an hour, to allow the flavors to meld without losing their freshness.
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Opt for fresh herbs, such as basil and oregano, to enhance the flavor of the lasagna. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese also adds a richer taste.
- Let It Rest: After baking the lasagna, let it rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. This allows the flavors to settle and the lasagna to firm up, making it easier to cut.
Conclusion:
Creating a truly exceptional lasagna requires patience, attention to detail, and the use of high-quality ingredients. By following the tips outlined above, you can craft a lasagna that will impress your family and friends. Remember, the secret lies in the careful layering of flavors and textures, from the rich tomato sauce to the creamy ricotta cheese and the crispy, golden-brown cheese crust. With a little practice and dedication, you'll be able to master this classic Italian dish and enjoy it for many years to come.
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