Winners Circle Lasagna Recipes

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:

• Heat grapeseed oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion turns translucent. Reduce heat to medium and add the zucchini, yellow squash, oregano, salt, and pepper, and stir to coat. Cover and gently cook for about 15 minutes, then add the corn, cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, make a slurry by adding the flour to a small bowl and gradually whisking in 3 tablespoons of the milk (reserving the rest of the milk for the eggs). Whisk tomato paste into the slurry until smooth. Gently stir the slurry into the squash mixture to thicken. Further cook uncovered until the squash is tender and the flour is "cooked out," about 5 more minutes. Remove pan from heat and let cool to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat butter over medium heat in another large skillet (or the same one if you have removed the vegetables and washed it). In a small bowl whisk 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon milk together at a time (reserving the rest of the eggs and milk). Spread the melted butter over the bottom of the pan and pour in the eggs, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook as you would a crepe, loosening the edges and flipping to brown both sides. When just cooked, transfer to the bottom of a lasagne dish as the bottom layer and trim and rearrange the egg to fit. Spoon 1/4 of the squash mixture evenly over the eggs, followed by 1/4 of the sliced tomatoes and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Repeat by whisking 2 more eggs with 1 tablespoon of milk and cooking to make a sheet of egg for the next layer, followed by squash, tomato and cheese each time, until you have completed 4 layers.
• Heat in the oven for about 20 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing into squares.
• Serve sprinkled with a dollop of sour cream and minced fresh parsley.

Steps:

• Lightly coat a sheet pan with olive oil and set aside. Bring the water, milk, and olive oil to a boil in a large pot. Add salt and pepper, and then sprinkle in the cornmeal, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or heavy whisk to avoid lumps. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes, or until the polenta pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pot. Season, to taste, again with salt and pepper. Fold in the butter and Parmesan.
• Turn the polenta onto the prepared sheet pan and smooth it out. Cover it with plastic wrap, and put it in the refrigerator until it is quite cold, preferably overnight. Using a 4-inch round pastry cutter, cut the cold polenta into 4-inch round cakes. Place the cakes on parchment paper, leaving them covered with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
• Close to serving time, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the skillet, and let the oil heat. Dust the polenta cakes with flour, add them to the pan in batches, and saute until crispy and golden brown. Top each cake with 1 tablespoon Taleggio, and place under the broiler until cheese is melted and a little browned on top. Serve the polenta cakes with basil oil, smoked tomato sauce, and grilled vegetables, layering like free-form lasagna as desired.
• Blanch the basil for 3 to 5 seconds in a large pot of boiling salted water. Using a spider or a slotted spoon, immediately plunge the basil into a bowl of ice water to retain its bright green color. Gently squeeze the basil to remove as much excess water as possible.
• Put the basil in a food processor or blender. Add both oils, and puree until smooth. Put the pesto in an airtight container, and refrigerate it overnight. Then pour off the excess oil that has settled on top. Pour pesto into squirt bottles for easier service.
• Smoke the onions and fresh tomatoes in a smoker under mesquite chips. Remove from smoker, and set the tomatoes aside. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the smoked onions and garlic to the pan, and saute until tender and very fragrant. Add the oregano and bay leaves and cook for 1 more minute, or until fragrant. Add the smoked tomatoes and the canned tomatoes, and bring mixture to a boil. Add the white wine and basil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree the sauce until smooth. Then add the sugar, and simmer for another 10 to 12 minutes. Strain sauce through a medium-sized mesh sieve. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Preheat a grill, or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, toss all of the sliced vegetables with the olive oil. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Add the garlic and fresh herbs, if using, and toss all together. Grill the vegetables until they are tender yet still slightly crisp.

Steps:

• For the noodles: Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Drain the noodles and transfer them to the prepared sheet.
• For the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook for a minute. Add the red peppers and saute for another minute or so. Add the mushrooms, yellow squash and zucchini and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the wine, add the red pepper flakes and some salt and pepper and stir. Pour in the tomatoes, using your hands to squeeze and crush the tomatoes, and add the tomato paste. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer and let simmer for 20 minutes or so. Stir in the parsley.
• For the ricotta mix: In a bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, eggs, 1/4 teaspoon salt and some pepper.
• To assemble: Grab a foil loaf pan and spoon in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Lay out 3 noodles and spoon 1/4 cup of the ricotta mix on each and spread evenly. Roll each noodle tightly and place the rolled noodles in the loaf pan on top of the sauce. Top with more sauce and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Cook immediately, or cover with foil and freeze.
• To cook immediately, bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F until bubbly, about 25 minutes. To cook frozen, remove the loaf pans from the freezer and bake, covered, at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese is nice and bubbly, an additional 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pumpkin puree in a fine sieve over a bowl; set aside to drain while you make the sauce.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 2 more minutes. Add the sausage and cook until brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Pour in the wine and cook until reduced by half. Stir in the tomato sauce and herbs and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook as the label directs. Drain and toss with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
• Mix the strained pumpkin puree with the egg in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella and the romano.
• Build your lasagna in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish: Start with a layer of sauce, then top with a layer of noodles. Evenly spread half of the pumpkin filling, then half of the zucchini, over the noodles. Top with half of the cheese mixture and cover with some of the sauce. Repeat the layers, finishing with noodles and sauce; sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly. Let cool 15 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the lasagne noodles.
• To make the sauce: Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium sauce pot, saute garlic and onion until the onions become translucent. Add crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 20 minutes, checking periodically to make sure the sauce doesn't burn.
• Boil the lasagne noodles until al dente, about 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with olive oil so the noodles don't stick together. Let cool.
• This lasagne will have 4 layers but 2 different types of cheese layers. One cheese layer will consist of mascarpone, ricotta, Parmesan and egg to bind. Combine these 4 ingredients in a bowl and set aside briefly. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Layer 4 to 5 lasagne noodles lengthwise side by side in an ovenproof lasagne dish with edges overlapping. Top with half of the mascarpone/ricotta cheese mixture. (It is easiest to drop evenly spaced spoonfuls of this over the noodles, and then spread it out.) Distribute half of the fresh basil and half of the fresh oregano over the cheese, then layer another 4 or 5 lasagne noodles over the cheese in the same fashion as the first layer of noodles.
• The second layer of cheese will consist of provolone and mozzarella. Spread half of the provolone cheese slices over the second layer of noodles and sprinkle with half of the mozzarella. Repeat the process with the noodles, remaining mascarpone/ricotta and noodles for the third layer. For the last layer, spread out the remaining noodles, top with remaining provolone, but then ladle the tomato sauce over and finish with the remaining mozzarella.
• Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, remove and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Working batches, cook the lasagna noodles until they are soft and pliable but not limp, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the pasta from the boiling water and lay flat on a sheet tray to cool. Reserve.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until brown and crumbly. Remove from pan and reserve on paper towels.
• Ditch the fat from the pan and add new olive oil along with 2 cloves of garlic and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Bring the pan to medium-high heat. When the garlic becomes golden and very aromatic, remove it from the heat and discard. Toss in the mushrooms and season them with salt. Cook the mushrooms until they are soft and wilted and dark brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from pan and reserve. Repeat this process with the remaining garlic and the zucchini.
• In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, 1/2 the Parmigiano-Reggiano, the eggs, and the basil. Mix to combine well and season with salt.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch deep-dish baking dish, add a couple ladlefuls of sauce and spread out in an even layer. Arrange a layer of the lasagna noodles to completely cover the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the pasta. Place a layer of pasta going in the other direction as the first layer (this will give a little more stability). Spread a light layer of sauce on the pasta and sprinkle 1/3 of the sausage over the sauce, repeat this process with 1/3 of the mushrooms and zucchini. Sprinkle a layer of mozzarella and some of the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano over the veggies. Repeat these layers until all the ingredients have been used up or the pan is full. Be sure that there is a layer of pasta on top covered with sauce and sprinkled with mozzarella and Parmigiano. Cover with foil.
• Place the lasagna on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until the lasagna is hot and bubbly, about 1 hour 15 minutes, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing.
• Note: For optimal slicing, make and bake the lasagna the day before. Heat it up again before slicing.
• Coat a large saucepot with olive oil and add the pancetta. Bring the pot to medium-high heat and cook the pancetta for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, season generously with salt, and stir to coat with the olive oil. Cook the onions for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently; the onions should become very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Pass the tomatoes through a food mill. Be sure to pass all of the pulp through the holes leaving only the stems and the seeds, and be sure to scrape the pulp off of the bottom of the food mill. That's all of the big money stuff! Add the tomatoes to the pot and rinse out one of the empty tomato cans with water and add that water to the pot (about 2 to 3 cups). Season generously with salt and taste it; tomatoes take a lot of salt. Season in baby steps and taste every step of the way. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting frequently.
• Use the sauce right away on pasta or for any other tomato sauce need. This sauce can also be cooled and stored in the fridge for a few days or it freezes really well.

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.