cooking it old school

Growing up, there was one special dish that was de rigueur for my family’s festive occasions. My grandma’s lasagna. Let me make it clear right from the start that we are in no way Italian. So, I’m not really sure how this came to be a part of our cuisine vernacular. But for one reason or another, this was the meal we all came to know, love and expect at our gatherings. My grandma was the original foodie. A magician in the kitchen, she loved to cook  and could wax poetic about food products or recipes that she adored. Being a long subscriber to Gourmet magazine, I suspect she found this recipe in one of the issues and made it her own. It was passed down to my mom and then to me–the perfect dish to have in your repertoire when you want to happily feed a crowd. It may not be completely authentic, but it’s richly flavorful and gratifying. Nothing like grandma’s cooking to bring you home again.

Grandma’s Lasagna

Today, I’m cooking it old school. Making my bolognese sauce from scratch, boiling up dried lasagna noodles, using homemade ricotta. Sure this recipe takes some time to prepare, but it makes two pans of lasagne: one for a grand meal tonight and another to be frozen and enjoyed a week or two from now.

Begin with the sauce: chop up a large Spanish onion and 4 or 5 cloves of garlic. Warm two tablespoons olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, until shimmering. Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes, then throw in the chopped garlic. Cook until vegetables are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. 

I like to use a combination of chopped meats for this sauce–beef, pork and veal, which I can usually find sold together at my market. Add all three to the pot and cook, stirring often, until the meat is evenly browned.

In a blender, puree two cans of whole peeled tomatoes. Slowly stir the puree into the meat. Add the tomato paste, sprigs of basil and parsley, dried oregano, and the bay leaf to the pot. 

Season with a pinch of sugar, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir. Bring the pot to a simmer, then turn down the heat and allow the sauce to cook, uncovered, until it has reduced and thickened for about an hour. Remove the herb sprigs and bay leaf; taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix fresh ricotta (if you want to really put it over the top, make your own by doubling my recipe here) with 2 beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons each of chopped basil and parsley, 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Thickly slice fresh mozzarella and then cut the slices into halves.

Now I suppose if you want to simplify things, you could use no boil noodles in this recipe, but I’ve never tried them–if the old way works, why change it? It is critical, though, not to overcook the pasta–mushy noodles will not make a tasty lasagna! Cooking the noodles in batches will also help. Bring a tall pot filled with about 5 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add a handful of sea salt and then a pound of lasagna noodles. Bring back to the boil, turn down the heat to maintain a low boil, and cook until very al dente–about 3 or 4 minutes less than package directions.

Using tongs, place the noodles in a colander to drain. Bring the water in the pot back up to the boil, then add the second pound of noodles to cook in the same manner as the first. Before draining, clear the colander by placing the first batch of noodles in a bowl. Drain the second batch by carefully pouring the pot into the colander.

Prepare two 9 x 13 casserole dishes or pans by liberally brushing the bottoms with olive oil. Begin building the lasagna by laying down a layer of noodles first. Spread a coating of the ricotta mixture over the noodles.

Ladle on some of the bolognese sauce and top with the mozzarella pieces. Be careful not to use too much sauce–you don’t want the lasagna to be soupy. Top with the next layer of noodles, ricotta, sauce, cheese, and repeat, building the same way as you go. You should have 4 or 5 layers by the time you reach the top of the casserole. Freshly grate Parmesan cheese over the top, then layer a lasagna in the second pan the same way as the first.

Cover both casseroles with foil and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn the pans 180 degrees, remove the foil, and continue cooking for another 15 to 20 minutes. When ready, the lasagne will be lightly browned and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting. If you’re planning to freeze one, allow it to cool completely, then cover well with plastic wrap and foil before placing it in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat it, allow to thaw, then reheat in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Serve hot with my Caesar Salad on the side and some buttery garlic bread. My favorite part? The crunchy edges of noodle on the top–this is how we do it in my ‘hood!

Makes 2 casseroles, each serves 6-8:


Bolognese Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, chopped
4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, pork and veal (1/2 pound each)
2 28 ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 sprigs each basil and parsley
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 bay leaf
pinch of sugar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Ricotta:
2 pounds fresh ricotta, preferably homemade
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons each basil and parsley, chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella
2 pounds lasagna noodles