Summer Lasagna Recipes

Steps:

• Peel and slice the eggplant and salt it in a colander. Cover with paper towels and a tea kettle that is full and heavy. Let stand for about 1 hour until moisture is released. This first step is very important to remove any bitterness.
• Batter the eggplant by dipping first in beaten eggs, then in bread crumbs seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, and garlic powder. (If you need to use store bought seasoned bread crumbs omit salt and pepper.)
• In a deep sided fry pan heat the olive oil to 350 degrees F. Add a little butter (for flavor) and fry the eggplant in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
• Make the vinaigrette of red wine vinegar, olive oil, chopped peppadews, sugar, oregano and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Chop the mint and Italian parsley.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons vinaigrette in the bottom of a large bowl. Layer eggplant slices with the chopped mint, parsley, and the vinaigrette. Top with more of the vinaigrette and marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. (Cook's note: you can also add to the layers more minced garlic and shredded Parmesan.)
• Boil the lasagna noodles with a little oil, so that they do not stick, and some salt, to impart some flavor.
• In a beautiful serving dish layer the marinated eggplant, the noodles, then sprinkle with some fresh mozzarella, then the basil and finally drizzle with the vinaigrette. Repeat until all the layers are formed, making sure that the noodle is not the last layer. Garnish with cherry tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Serve at room temperature for the best summer lasagna. Manga!!!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
• In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until evenly brown. Drain juices. Mix the onion, green bell pepper, carrots, garlic, and tomato sauce into the skillet. Season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
• In the bottom of the prepared baking dish, layer 1/2 the zucchini strips. In a bowl, beat together the cottage cheese and egg, and spread over the zucchini. Scoop 1/2 the beef mixture over the cottage cheese and egg mixture, and sprinkle with 1/2 the mozzarella cheese. Layer with remaining zucchini, beef mixture, and mozzarella. Top with Parmesan cheese.
• Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow to sit 10 minutes before slicing to serve.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, and 2 teaspoons oil; season with salt and pepper. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles according to package instructions; drain.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Add garlic and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until slightly broken down, about 3 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil and zucchini to skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until zucchini are tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to another bowl and stir in basil.
• Place some tomatoes on four plates; top with a noodle and small spoonfuls ricotta, zucchini, and more tomatoes. Repeat layering twice, then top with remaining noodles and tomatoes. Garnish with basil.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and olive oil; cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain.
• Cook the ground beef and sausage in a large pot over medium heat; drain. Stir in the mushrooms, garlic salt, oregano, thyme, basil, and tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper; simmer 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix together the ricotta cheese, eggs, and Parmesan cheese in a bowl.
• Ladle enough of the meat sauce into a 9x13 inch baking dish to cover the bottom in a thin layer. Form a layer atop the sauce with 3 of the lasagna noodles. Spread about 1/4 of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese over the ricotta cheese mixture and then ladle about 1/3 of the meat sauce over the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layering twice more, topping with the remaining 1/4 pound of mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven 90 minutes. Allow to sit 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until the garlic starts to soften but not brown. Add the oregano and parsley and cook for about 30 seconds more, until fragrant. Add the Swiss chard and salt and cook until the chard wilts, 2-3 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. Wipe out the pan.
• Make the béchamel: Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until softened and fragrant, but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for about 2 minutes, until the mixture bubbles but has not yet started to brown.
• Slowly stream in the warm milk, starting with just a few splashes, whisking constantly. The mixture will be very clumpy at first, but will eventually come together as a thin sauce. Cook until the mixture begins to simmer, and then reduce the heat to low and cook, still stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg and whisk to incorporate. Pour the béchamel into a liquid measuring cup, but do not scrape out the pan. You want a thin coating of sauce left in the bottom of the skillet.
• Assemble the lasagna: Add the olive oil to the pan and whisk into the béchamel.
• Pour warm water into a glass baking dish. Dip each lasagna noodle in the warm water for a few seconds, then lay in the skillet, breaking as needed to fit. Once you have a single layer at the bottom of the pan, top with ⅓ of the béchamel, ⅓ of the frozen peas, ⅓ of the sautéed Swiss chard, ⅓ of the mozzarella, and ⅓ of the Parmesan. Repeat to make 2 more layers with the remaining ingredients.
• Cover the skillet with 2-3 layers of foil and seal tightly to ensure no steam escapes.
• Cook the lasagna over medium-low heat for 30-45 minutes, until a toothpick slides easily through the noodles.
• Uncover the lasagna and top with the basil. Serve immediately.
• Enjoy!