How to Make
I’ve always wondered what it is about lasagne that’s made it a favourite with everyone. Both adults and children seem to love this Italian specialty. I’m not complaining because I happen to be a fan of creamy lasagne myself. Still there should be something that makes lasagne so popular throughout the world and I’ve decided it’s because it’s a combination of a lot of favourites like tomato sauce, pasta, a variety of cheese and different kinds of seasonings. It’s popular with cooks too because it’s easy to make and very versatile. You can arrange a lasagne base over the weekend and cook it whenever you want a meal in a hurry.
The etymology of this dish is quite funny. The word lasagne is derived “lasanam” meaning “cooking pot” in Latin; this in turn was a take-off from the Greek word, “lasanon” meaning “chamber pot”. The lasanam was used to cook sheets of pasta with alternative layers of sauce and cheese. Soon the pot’s name was given to the dish prepared in it and that’s how we got the name “lasagne”.
This Italian recipe spread to all corners of the world and became very popular. Different cuisines added their own touch to the lasagne and a lot of lasagne recipes were born. The result is a dish that’s totally different from the original Italian version. This is also popular as a easy to make dish to make for convalescing patients; it’s rich as well as nutritious.
Here’s my lasagne recipe that’s guaranteed to be a hit with your family and guests.
You’ll need –
* Minced garlic – 2 cloves
* Onion paste – ½ cup
* Minced lean beef – ¾ lb
* Sweet Italian sausage – 1 lb
* Water – ½ cup
* Tomato sauce – 13 oz
* Tomato paste – 12 oz
* Crushed tomatoes – 28 oz
* Italian seasoning – 1 tsp
* Fennel seeds – ½ tsp
* Dried basil leaves – 1.5 tsp
* Sugar- 2 tbsp
* Powdered black pepper – ¼ tsp
* Fresh parsley (chopped) – 4 tbsp
* Lasagne noodles – 12
* Ricotta cheese – 16 oz
* Egg – 1
* Salt – 1 tbsp + ½ tsp
* Mozzarella cheese (sliced) – ¾ lb
* Shredded Parmesan cheese – ¾ cup
Instructions –
* Use a thick-bottomed pan to cook minced beef, sausage, onion and garlic till they turn brown. Mix in crushed tomatoes, paste and sauce along with water. Add sugar, fennel seeds, basil leaves, Italian seasoning, a tablespoon of salt, pepper and half the parsley. Keep this on low flame and cook covered for about one and a half hours, stirring at frequent intervals.
* Boil water with a little salt in a large pot. Add the lasagna noodles to the water and let it cook for about 10 minutes. Drain the water and rinse the noodles. Mix ricotta cheese, egg,, parsley and half a teaspoon salt in a bowl.
* Preheat your oven to 375oF. Take a 9×13 inch baking dish and pour out 1.5 cups of meat sauce at the bottom of the dish. Spread it out. Place six noodles over the sauce. Next, assemble a layer of ricotta cheese over the noodles. Your next layer should be mozzarella cheese slices. Spread another 1.5 cups of meat sauce over this and dust with a quarter cup of Parmesan cheese.
* Duplicate this process with all the layers and finish off with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover this with aluminium foil; take care not to let the foil touch the cheese.
* Keep this in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes. Take off the foil and bake again for 25 minutes. Let it remain for 15 minutes, then serve.
Garlic bread is a good accompaniment to this dish.
