Sunday, 14 June 2009

• Three Cheese Lasagna

  On Friday, after I went to Social Security to change my name and ran eight million other errands (I LOVE DAYS OFF!) I came home and made lasagna.
  
  The hubs isn't a huge fan of lasagna, so I actually make this more for me to take to work - I freeze the finished portions and just pull them out of the freezer when I want to eat them.  It actually freezes fairly decently.
  

  
  Image Source
  

  Let's go!
  
  First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  
  

  
  

  Ingredients, Assemble!
  - 1 26oz jar of Prego traditional.
  - Lasagna noodles.  I like the no bake ones because it saves me one step and one pot. 
  - Shredded parmesan cheese (this bag was 1 1/4 cups, you don't need the whole bag.)
  - 2 cups of mozzarella cheese
  - 32 oz ricotta
  - 1 egg
  - 1/4 cup parsley (which I forgot, oops and did not add.)
  
  If you want to beef it up or veggie it up more, you can also include 1 cup of spinach (or 2, up to you), 1 pound of ground beef (pork also works) and sliced mushrooms, along with sliced zucchini.
  
  Beat the egg in a large bowl.  It's easier to do it now than to crack the egg into a mountain of cheese and try to beat it all together.
  
  

  
  
  

  To prove how Asian I am, I used a pair of chopsticks to beat the egg.
  
  

  
  
  

  Dump in the entire container of ricotta cheese.  And I used part skim, so my hips only partially hate me.
  (I need better lighting in my kitchen.)
  
  Do a partial mix of the ricotta and the egg.
  
  

  
  
  

  Slowly start to incorporate the mozzarella cheese with the ricotta and egg mix.  I wound up using the chopsticks to mix, since it was stronger (a pair of cheapie free ones, not ripped apart.)
  Also mix in 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese.
  
  Mix happy!
  
  

  
  
  

  When you're done, it should look like this.  Just one big lump of mixed up cheese and egg.  If you remembered to get parsley (you can use dried also, just don't use 1/4 cup.  Use like a tablespoon, to your liking) also throw it in during the mixing and you'll have cute little green flecks in the cheese.
  
  Also if you're using spinach (I recommend frozen, it's easier to deal with), microwave the spinach (so it's no longer frozen and pliable) and mix it in with the cheese.
  
  Let's get to work!  You need a 13"x9" baking dish.
  
  Open up that jar of Prego and spread a little less than 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of the dish so that it covers the bottom of the dish and you can't see through it.
  
  

  
  

  
  Note:  If you are using meat and mushrooms, first brown the meat in a pan.  Drain off the fat and set aside.  Slice up the mushrooms, and lightly saute those suckers next.  Put the meat back in the pan, and over low heat, incorporate the sauce into the pan. 
  
  When everything is combined, then start to spoon the sauce into the pan like the step above.
  
  The next layer is noodles.  Since mine are fat rectangles, lay them in the dish this way.  If you are using long thin rectangular noodles, then the noodles would go the other way.  Since these noodles are not cooked, you do have to allow a little space for expansion during the baking process, so do not put them next to each other!  Leave a little space all around and along the edge of the pan.
  
  

  
  

  
  Next, put one third of the cheese mixture on top of the noodles.  This part isn't easy, and those chopsticks came in really helpful during the spreading part.  A flat spatula will probably work too... and darnit, I had one of those in my drawer.
  
  

  
  

  
  Repeat the three layers - sauce, noodles, cheese.  Sauce, noodles and cheese.  Make sure you leave a smidge of sauce for the top.
  
  When you get to the final layer of cheese, spread the remaining sauce on top (you don't need a thick layer) and then sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.
  
  

  
  

  
  Side shot:
  
  

  
  

  
  I bet it looks better by a real authentic Italian mama... and she wouldn't use Prego as a shortcut to making your own sauce.
  
  Cover it with aluminium foil and put it in the oven for 45 minutes.
  
  When 45 minutes is up, pull it out of the oven and remove the foil.
  
  

  
  

  
  It has risen quite nicely!  You'll notice the parmesan didn't melt all the way, so now stick it back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes to brown the top and melt the cheese,  uncovered.
  
  After 15 minutes, take it out of the oven and let it cool.
  
  NOTE:  If you are using a Pyrex dish, you MUST put a towel underneath the dish.  If you have a cold counter and you are putting a hot dish on it, the Pyrex could possibly explode.  Also, a wet towel could possibly make the dish explode.  Putting a towel underneath the dish prevents this.  My brother says he also puts the Pyrex dish on top of the gas burners (obviously do not turn the gas on) to cool, but I always have towels in my kitchen.
  
  Yes, I did read the instruction manual that came with my set of Pyrex dishes.
  
  

  
  

  
  Hello love.
  
  You can make 8 regular sized portion, or six monster portions.  I went for the six.
  
  

  
  

  
  Yummy time!
  
  

  
  

  It looks a bit dry  because it had been sitting out for a while.  If you can cut it fresh, then it looks prettier.
  
  

  
  

  Lasagnas are like ogres and onions... they have layers.  And when you cut through each layer, it's delish.
  
  Feeds six very hungry people or eight regular portions if you also include side salads and bread.
  

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