Conference turris::cooks

2975.0. "Lasagna" by HDLITE::SCOTT () Sun Mar 31 1991 21:09

     This is the ultimate lasagna!!!  (From "Beard on Pasta")
    
     Light Tomato Sauce:
      28-oz. can Rdpack whole tomatoes in puree
        (contradiction in terms???) 
      2 small onions, sliced
      Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
      1 teaspoon dried basil
      4 tablespoons butter
    
      Cook the tomatoes, onions, salt, pepper, and basil over medium-high
      heat for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the butter and 
      continue to cook until it melts.
    
    Meatballs:
      1/2 pound ground chuck
      1/2 pound sausage meat
      2 onions, finely chopped
      1 small chili pepper, seeds removed
      1/4 cup chopped parsley
      2 teaspoons Pesto (Basil, Garlic, Parmesan, Olive Oil)
      1/2 teaspoon salt
      1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
      Pinch nutmeg
      1 egg
    
      Put everything in a large bowl.  Blend ingredients thoroughly with 
      your fingers.  Make small balls, about the size of large cherries.
      Refrigerate until needed.
    
      Melt 2 tablespoons of olive oil and
           2 tablespoons of butter 
      in a large heavy skillet.  When the fats have blended and are hot,
      but not smoking, add the meatballs.  COok over medium-high heat, 
      shaking the pan constantly to keep the meatballs in motion, until
      lightly browned all olver.  Be sure to keep them hopping in the pan
      so they do not flatten.
    
    Bechamel Sauce:
      3 tablespoons butter
      4 tablespoons flour
      2 cups chicken broth
      1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
      1 teaspoon salt
      1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
      1 cup heavy cream
    
      Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan.  Stir in the flour, and cook
      for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and golden.  Remove
      from heat and stir with a spatula or wire whisk until the sauce is
      smooth and thick.  Simmer for 3-4 minutes.  Season with nutmeg, salt,
      and pepper.  Add the heavy cream, and keep the mixture just below the
      simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors.
    
    Pasta:  
      4 ounces white pasta
      4 ounces whole-wheat pasta
      (If you've gone this far, it's worth it to make homemade!!!)
     
      Bring 4 quarts water to a boil.  Cook the lasagne strips, 3 or 4 at a
      time, until they are just done (3 1/2 minutes for fresh pasta). 
      Remove them with a slotted spoon, dip in cold water to stop the
      cooking, and lay on a dish towel.  (I skipped this step--instead, I 
      cooked them as I was assembling the lasagne.)
    
    Topping:
       1/4 pound Gruyere cheese, grated
       1/4 pound Parmesan cheese, grated
    
    ASSEMBLY:
       Spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce onto the bottom of a 14-inch 
       baking pan.  Make a layer of white pasta over the sauce.  Spread on
       more tomato sauce, and sprinkle with meatballs.  Spoon on half the 
       bechamel.  Continue with a layer of whole-wheat pasta, tomato sauce,
       and meatballs and so forth until they are all used up, alternating 
       white and whole-wheat lasagne and ending with the bechamel. 
       Sprinkle with the grated cheeses and bake in a 450 degree oven for
       15 minutes.
    
    This is incredible.  I made it for a birthday party, and it was gone
    within minutes of coming out of the oven.  Of course, you can cheat on
    anything, but I suggest doing the bechamel sauce as described.  
    
    Preparation Time:  2 hours (???)
    Assembly:  10 minutes
    Cooking Time:  15 minutes
    

>      28-oz. can Rdpack whole tomatoes in puree
>        (contradiction in terms???) 

nope.  whole tomatoes packed in tomato puree are sold in your local markets
and make an excellent base for sauces, as well as tomato dominant soups.

>>>     This is the ultimate lasagna!!!  (From "Beard on Pasta")

Ed, where are you?


8-)

Diane    

    Right here, waiting for the weekend....
    
    ed

     >>  Right here, waiting for the weekend....
    
     >>  ed


	Ed?  Okay, so you didn't say which weekend.  8^).
	Speak to us, o lasagne guru.

	Di

	Ed, you're being coy, aren't you.  This isn't like you.  8-).

	Di

    well, I got hung up on Mol�'s lately, but this feels like a lasagne
    weekend...
    
    ed