Give me a good Lasagna recipe!

[DVad3r]

I am going to attempt to make a lasagna this weekend. Anyone have any good recipes that are GTFO ownage? I like meat lasagna's with traditional red sauce. Spinach and stuff is ok in there among other things.

So let's hear some good ones

 

[skyking]

Don't know about a recipe, but we make it without cooking the noodles. Layer it up with your ricotta and meat sauce per usual, using uncooked noodles. Bake it at 350 and the moisture will go from the sauce into noodles and cook them right there.
The first time my wife did that my mom was "THAT's not going to work!" and all up in arms about it(mom was opinionated ), and when it did she adopted the method as if it were her own

 

[DVad3r]

Don't know about a recipe, but we make it without cooking the noodles. Layer it up with your ricotta and meat sauce per usual, using uncooked noodles. Bake it at 350 and the moisture will go from the sauce into noodles and cook them right there.
The first time my wife did that my mom was "THAT's not going to work!" and all up in arms about it(mom was opinionated ), and when it did she adopted the method as if it were her own

Hmm sounds like a good method. Do you make your own meat sauce or buy a ready one? You see I'm a pretty "noob" cook so I need everything broken down lol.

 

[tcsenter]

Eggplant and Seafood Lasagna

http://www.trans-ocean.com/lasagna.html

 

[Adam8281]

My favorite recipe is Stouffers.

 

[ElFenix]

Don't know about a recipe, but we make it without cooking the noodles. Layer it up with your ricotta and meat sauce per usual, using uncooked noodles. Bake it at 350 and the moisture will go from the sauce into noodles and cook them right there.
The first time my wife did that my mom was "THAT's not going to work!" and all up in arms about it(mom was opinionated ), and when it did she adopted the method as if it were her own

i'll add that you'll probably want to add a little water to the pan before putting it in the oven. you can do it with any noodles, not just the ones that are marked up specifically for it. wouldn't hurt to grab the no-boil directions off the back of the box though.

i wouldn't use a meat sauce on a lasagna. presumably you've got layers of meat in there already, so you don't need additional meat in the sauce. a mix of half and half ground beef and ground italian sausage is pretty tasty.

don't forget the egg in the ricotta. it'll make it a bit more solid when cooked.

 

[shopbruin]

The one I make comes out pretty decently:

Barilla no bake lasagna noodles
32 oz ricotta
12 oz shredded mozarella
1/2 cup parmesan
1/4 cup parsley (use fresh)
1 egg, beaten
26 oz spaghetti sauce, meatless (I use Prego)
If you want to add meat on your own, get a pound of Italian Sausage, ground beef or even ground pork depending on your flavoring.

According to America's Test Kitchen, it is best to soak the no bake noodles in warm water before cooking so they soften a bit. I usually don't, but the noodles are probably a shade crunchier than if they were cooked beforehand.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

1. Mix Ricotta, egg, parsley, 2 cups of mozarella, 1/4 cup of parmesan in a bowl.
2. If you are using meat, brown in a skillet. Drain off the fat, and stir in spaghetti sauce.
3. Assemble in a 13x9 pan. Spoon a little of the sauce onto the bottom of the pan, just to barely cover the bottom.
4. Layer one: three noodles.
5. Layer two: 1/3 of cheese mixture
6. Layer three: 1/3 of sauce.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 two more times.
8. Top with remaining parmesan and mozarella.

I usually cover with foil, and then pop it in the oven for 45 mins. During the last 5-10 mins, remove the foil so that it browns on top.

 

[effowe]

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Worlds-Best-Lasagna/Detail.aspx

World's Best Lasagna

* 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
* 3/4 pound lean ground beef
* 1/2 cup minced onion
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
* 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
* 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
* 1/2 cup water
* 2 tablespoons white sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
* 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
* 12 lasagna noodles
* 16 ounces ricotta cheese
* 1 egg
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
* 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

 

[JDub02]

follow the recipe on the box of no-boil lasagna noodles. use 1/2 of your favorite italian sausage and 1/2 lean ground beef for the meat along with a jar of your favorite pasta sauce.

this makes great lasagna.

 

[chalmers]

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Worlds-Best-Lasagna/Detail.aspx

World's Best Lasagna

* 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
* 3/4 pound lean ground beef
* 1/2 cup minced onion
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
* 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
* 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
* 1/2 cup water
* 2 tablespoons white sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
* 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
* 12 lasagna noodles
* 16 ounces ricotta cheese
* 1 egg
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
* 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

I've made an extremely similar but slightly modified version of this lasagna. It's absolutely fabulous.

 

[Train]

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Worlds-Best-Lasagna/Detail.aspx

World's Best Lasagna

I've done this one with both pre cooked and uncooked noodles, worked great either way. Just make sure if you use dry noodles there is enough moisture in there, your sauce and ricotta should have a little water runoff.

Don't skimp on the sausage or cheeses, get the good stuff. Take your time, simmer the sauce nice and LONG.

It actually tastes better after a night in the fridge. Cooking it all day and then eating it for dinner is good, but refridgerating it and reheating it the next day after the flavors have really soaked in, is even better.

 

[DVad3r]

Nice guys thanks, I will probably try the worlds best lasagna. And I agree with above poster about letting it sit for a day vs eating it fresh out of the oven. If I fail at making lasagna I will share my experience so you guys can crack up

 

[Newbian]

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Lasagna is all about the quality of ingredients, not which ingredients you choose. Forget about the no bake/no cook noodles, standard good quality lasagna noodle work just dandy. Until, you get a little more experienced making sauce, don't buy pre-made, just add another half cup of water or wine to the sauce to make it a little thinner.

I usually make it with 3 layers of pasta and 2 layers of filling. Keep the ingredients separate unless they are all cold. After the top layer of pasta is in place, cover with a thin layer of sauce. Cover pan with plastic and then with foil. If you've got the non stick type of foil, you can forget the plastic. Bake in 350 degree oven for an hour to an hour and a half depending on how thick a lasagna you've got. The best way is to stick a thermometer in it and pull it out at 160 degrees.

The critical part is to let it rest for at least 15 minutes to a half hour to let it set up. Feel free to pile on some more cheese while you're letting it rest.