When I was back in Texas, I made some lasagna for my family for when they got off the flight from Scotland. Plane food has always tasted pretty awful, but it seems as though it has only gotten worse over the last couple of years. So I thought they deserved something tasty and comforting to welcome them back to Texas. This lasagna makes 6 large dinners at $3.29 for each serving.
Lasagna
For the Meat Sauce:
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound spicy Italian sausage
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup red wine
42 ounces canned cans crushed tomatoes, 1 large can and 1 small can
salt and pepper
For the Lasagna:
10 lasagna noodles
12 ounces ricotta
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
12 ounces Mozzarella, grated
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium high heat. Brown the ground beef and sausage, and break up the meat with the back of a spoon. Stir in the onion and cook for 4 minutes. Then stir in the garlic, bay leaf, basil, and oregano. Add the wine, canned tomatoes, and carrot. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer the filling uncovered until the sauce has thickened, around 45 minutes. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare the lasagna noodles as instructed on the package, and drain. I prefer noodles that you have to cook over the no cook lasagna noodles because they just have a better texture and flavour.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, parsley, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and then salt and pepper to taste.
Spread a quarter of the meat sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Lay 3 lasagna noodles down in the pan and spread half of the ricotta mixture on top. Sprinkle with some Mozzarella and then top with another quarter of the meat sauce. Repeat the procedure for one more layer ending with the last 4 noodles on top. Place the last bit of meat sauce on the noodles and then top with the remaining Mozzarella and 1/4 cup of Parmesan.
Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes or until bubbly at 375 degrees F. Remove from the oven and let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes. Letting it stand allows the lasagna to cool down and makes it much easier to cut and serve since each slice won’t fall apart.
