I'll be honest, lasagna has always seemed daunting and a hit or miss. Not only does it take a long time to prepare, it's taste is also delicate. I've tasted a sweet lasagna before and it almost made me barf. So my objective is to create a lasagna that's cheesy and meaty all the way. This is the first time I will ever cook with this much cheese to create a béchamel. Listen to me talking all fancy. Prepping for the ingredients prove to be harder than expected as the most important cheese ingredient, ricotta cheese, is apparently rare in supermarkets in the area. I finally found a tub at Rustan's The Supermarket, where they offer a whole section to all kinds of cheese.
The end result went better than I expected, actually. The mozzarella really was the star of the cheeses and the mixture of saltiness and the tomatoes and meat was freaking awesome. I kind of wanted the meat to be more juicy, so I think I should use non-lean for one of the meats next time. Perhaps the only issue with the appearance was that the top baked the pasta. I didn't realize how important it was to cover up the top entirely with cheese because I ran out so next time, I should save enough for the top layer.
Equipment
deep dish pan (for 3 layers) (9 x13)
Ingredients
lasagna pasta
1/2 kg ground beef
1/2 kg ground pork
1/4 cup red wine (or broth)
1 big can crushed tomatoes
1 small pack tomato sauce
1 tall pack tomato paste
1 small tub ricotta cheese
mozzarella
parmesan
1 small tub ricotta cheese
2 packs cream cheese spread
1 egg
basil
parsley
onion, garlic, seasoning, thyme, oregano, nutmeg
Optional
red pepper flakes
cornstarch
Steps
Cook pasta until al dente. Wash with cold water to stop the cooking. Spread around to keep them from clumping as they cool. Alternatively, submerge pasta in warm water for 30 mins.
Cook meats, adding onion and garlic. Add crushed tomatoes, sauce, and paste. Add red wine and seasoning Add sugar to balance the acidity on the canned tomatoes.
Mix ricotta, cottage cheese, mozarella, parmesan and egg. Throw in parsley, salt, nutmeg, and cornstarch.
On the pan, add meat as base. Add layers: pasta, cheese, meat, parmesan. Make sure the top most layer is cheese for moisture. NOTE: Pat the pasta dry.
Optionally, refrigerate covered for 24 hours before baking.
Bake on a 375F (190C) with foil. After 25 minutes, remove the foil. Continue baking for 25 more minutes.
After baking, garnish with more parsley.
Source
Gallery
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