Steve Browns Lasagna Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position one of the racks in the center.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and bay leaf and cook for about 30 seconds, then add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste and wine. Season with parsley, sugar, Italian seasoning, ground fennel, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the squash and zucchini to a large bowl, and toss with the extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the vegetables to the grill pan in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Grill until softened and there are grill marks, about 4 minutes per side.
• Mix the ricotta with the milk, Parmesan, egg, 1 cup mozzarella and a few pinches salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Spread a thin layer of the pasta sauce (about a third) on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of noodles (about 5), breaking to cover the entire dish in a single layer. Layer on half of the grilled veg, then half of the ricotta mixture and another third of sauce. Repeat the layers, finishing with the veg on top. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top in an even layer. Place the whole basil leaves on top.
• Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until lightly browned on top, another 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2. Simmer garlic and onion in olive oil in large frying pan until onion starts to clarify. Add the sausage and freshly ground pepper. Before the sausage is thoroughly cooked, add the fresh basil. Drain the fat from the pan when the sausage is done cooking. Add the remaining ingredients for the meat sauce, and bring the sauce to a slow simmering boil. Add dry Italian seasoning as necessary to taste. Simmer the sauce for about 20 minutes.
• 3. In a large mixing bowl, use your fingers to mix together the beaten egg, ricotta cheese and ½ of the grated cheddar.
• 4. Assemble the lasagna in a 9x13x2-inch glass pan: • Lay down 3 noodles • ½ meat sauce and more ground pepper • ½ ricotta mixture • ½ the mozzarella • ½ the Parmesan and ½ the remaining cheddar • Layer the artichoke hearts and drained spinach (should not be soggy) • 3 noodles • rest of the meat sauce and more ground pepper • rest of the ricotta mixture • rest of the mozzarella • rest of the Parmesan and the remaining cheddar
• 5. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly. You will want to place the pan on a jelly roll pan in case it bubbles over! Take foil off the last 10 minutes to allow lasagna to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

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.

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions, garlic, and red pepper for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let garlic brown. Add the tomatoes, oregano, and bay leaf to skillet. Let simmer until flavors blend, stirring occasionally every 1/2 hour. Stir in Parmesan, and remove bay leaf. Sauce is ready for lasagna to be made.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot, boil water, and cook pasta close to al dente. In a large bowl combine the ricotta, salt, pepper, and Parmesan, and mix until well blended. Mix in egg yolks and set aside.
• In a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of marinara sauce and cover with noodles. Spread a layer of ricotta cheese mixture over noodles. Top with mozzarella, another layer of sauce, and repeat. The third layer should be topped with sauce and mozzarella. Cover and bake for 40 minutes, remove cover and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and let stand for 20 minutes.
• To serve, cut into squares, and serve with drizzled marinara sauce.

Steps:

• Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.
• In a skillet cook beef, celery, onion, and garlic till meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off fat if any, and wipe out the pan.
• To the meat in the pan add the seasonings, cream, and cream cheese. Cook and stir over low heat to melt the cheese.
• Stir in wine. Gradually add cheddar and gouda cheese, stirring and heating till cheese is nearly melted; remove from heat.
• Stir together egg and cottage cheese.
• Layer half the noodles in a greased 13x9 baking dish. Top with half the meat sauce, half the cottage cheese, and half the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers.
• Bake uncovered in a 375 F oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes about 12-16 servings.