Lasagna
If I were stranded on an island with only one choice of an Italian dish, I would pick lasagna over and over again. What is better than having a hearty Bolognese sauce with plenty of mozzarella stacked between layers of pasta? I know it’s not the healthiest meal out there but let’s be real, the best tasting dishes are usually the ones that include cheese and company.
I have tried making a few different versions of Bolognese sauce and I think I’ve finally found the winner. I used ground beef and pancetta and simmered it for a whole 3 hours! I did keep one thing similar to the Not Your Mama’s Bolognese Sauce and that is I made a soffritto (blitzed onions, carrots, and celery). Although you can keep the vegetables cut without blitzing them, I believe making it a soffritto is much nicer in the long run. You’ll notice that I use 10 oz of tomato paste. Trust me when I say that you don’t want to cheap out when it comes to tomato paste. Simmering it for 2-3 hours will ensure it all cooks through and is delicious!
Ingredients for sauce:
1 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
2 Carrots blitzed
2 Celery blitzed
1 yellow onion blitzed
4 cloves of garlic
1 lb ground beef (93/7) or (80/20)
Quarter of a pound of diced Pancetta
28 oz crushed tomatoes (we always buy the San Marzano brand - highly recommend)
29 oz tomato sauce (I used 85% of it but you can always use the entire can)
12 oz can of tomato paste (I used about 10 oz of it)
2 tbsp of red wine
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp of dried parsley
1 tbsp of fresh oregano
2 tbsps of fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Mozzarella block and shredded mozzarella
Deep 9x13 pan
Directions for the soffritto:
Cut up onions, carrots, celery and blitz in blender or food processor or blender (Since I was using a blender I did each separately to ensure it was finely blitzed).
Directions for the sauce:
In a large sized pot, over medium high heat, add the butter and oil. Once melted, add the carrots, celery, and onion.
Saute, stirring occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the ground beef and stir for a minute or two.
Add pancetta and stir.
Once the meats are browned, start adding at the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste. Add the parsley, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.
Stir to combine and simmer for 2-3 hours stirring occasionally.
Directions for the assembling lasagna:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a deep 9x13 pan.
To assemble, spread about 1 cup of meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Place 3-4 noodles on top. Spread with a few mozzarella slices and shredded mozzarella. Spoon 1.5 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, then add 3-4 noodles. Repeat layering 4-5 more times. To finish, place a final layer of pasta, topped with another 1 cup of meat sauce to cover the pasta. Top with remaining mozzarella and shredded mozzarella. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes to allow cheese to brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
