| A Very Special Lasagne |
| And it really is. It is rich and so delicate in texture and flavors that it becomes an elegant dish for a first course or entree. |
| .5 |
lb |
lasagna noodles |
| 1 |
lb |
ground beef |
| .5 |
cup |
onion, chopped |
| 3 |
clove(s) |
garlic |
| 1 |
Tbs |
olive oil |
| 3 |
lbs |
tomato |
| 1.5 |
tsp |
seasoned salt |
| 2 |
Tbs |
parsley, chopped |
| 2 |
tsp |
basil, fresh (1 tsp if dried) |
| 1/2 |
tsp |
oregano |
| 1/4 |
tsp |
black pepper freshly ground |
| Bechamel |
| 1/2 |
cup |
butter |
| 4 |
Tbs |
flour |
| 1 |
cup |
milk |
|
| 1 |
cup |
chicken broth |
| 1 |
cube |
chicken bouillon |
| 1/8 |
teaspoon |
salt |
| Ricotta Filling |
| 1 |
whole |
egg |
| .5 |
lbs |
ricotta cheese |
| .25 |
cup |
parmesan cheese freshly grated |
| 1/8 |
tsp |
nutmeg |
| 1/2 |
tsp |
salt |
| Cheeses |
| 1.5 |
cups |
parmesan cheese freshly grated |
| 4 |
ounces |
mozzarella cheese, sliced |
| 4 |
ounces |
teleme cheese |
| |
as needed |
butter |
|
|
| 1 |
Cook lasagne noodles in boiling, salted water until “al dente”, still firm to the bite. Drain and keep them in cold water until ready to use. |
| 2 |
Sauté ground beef, onion, and garlic in olive oil until meat is no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients and cook a a fast simmer until sauce is quite thick (about 30-40 minutes). Skim fat. Preheat oven to 400. |
| 3 |
Melt butter, add flour and cook, stirring with a whisk, for one minute. Slowly add milk and chicken broth and bring to a boil, still using whisk. Taste and add chicken bouillon cube, if needed. Add salt. |
| 4 |
Beat egg in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir well with a fork. |
| 5 |
In the following order, layer in a lightly-greased 13×9-inch baking dish: a little meat sauce, half of the noodles, half of the remaining meat sauce, 1/2 cup Béchamel, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, half of the mozzarella, teleme, and ricotta, Béchamel, and Parmesan cheeses. Do not butter. At this point, the dish may be covered and refrigerated. |
| 6 |
From room temperature, bake at 400, uncovered for 30 minutes or more, until bubbly. |
|
| Servings: 8Yield: 8 entrees |
| Degree of Difficulty: Moderately difficult |
| Oven Temperature: 400°F |
| Preparation Time: 1 hour and 15 minutesCooking Time: 30 minutes |
Nutrition Facts
| Serving size: 1/8 of a recipe (15.3 ounces).Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. |
| Amount Per Serving |
| Calories |
726.14 |
| Calories From Fat (61%) |
441.52 |
| % Daily Value |
| Total Fat 49.55g |
76% |
| Saturated Fat 26.92g |
135% |
| Cholesterol 169.58mg |
57% |
| Sodium 1159.37mg |
48% |
| Potassium 797.14mg |
23% |
| Total Carbohydrates 37.06g |
12% |
| Fiber 3.24g |
13% |
| Sugar 7.18g |
|
| Protein 33.66g |
67% |
| MyPoints 18 |
|
|
|
| Recipe Type: Comfort Food, Italian, Main Dish, Pasta |
| TipsThis dish freezes well. |
| |
| ReviewsThis is the absolute best lasagne I have ever had! Rich and flavorful, the pinnacle of comfort food. – Chris Henry 12/3/2009 |
| SourceAuthor: Junior League of Palo AltoSource: A Private Collection of those truly special recipes, not readily found in other cookbooks.
Copyright: 1980 by Junior League of Palo Alto
Note: I recently made a vegetarian version of this recipe and I think I may even like it better (my husband still prefers the meat version). While not as rich, after a day or two the flavors intermingle to make quite a delectable meal. In place of the beef (all other ingredients stayed the same), I used zucchini, squash, carrots (put them through a food processor because I don’t like too chunky), sliced mushrooms, and peeled and sliced eggplant. After slicing the eggplant, I put them in a bowl with olive oil and salt while I prepared other items. I sauteed everything just as if it were the beef – with the garlic and onion and tomato sauce. All other instructions remain the same. |
