You might be a redneck if… you’ve added cheddar to your lasagna mix or if you substitute sweet tea for red wine.
You do own shoes don’t you?
Hey, this poster is okay. Knows what to do with the ricotta.
More for me, I guess.
It’s the layering that’s all wrong in the OP’s recipe. The correct layering is a key to a good lasagna.
From the bottom up:
Noodles
Ricotta mixture
Mozzarella
Bolognaise sauce
Noodles
Ricotta mixture
Mozzarella
Bolognaise sauce
Always finish with the bolognaise on the top. Too many people put the mozzarella on top and it overcooks. Doesn’t finish well.
I could never get meat sauce to taste the way I wanted - either the beef clumps were too large, or I couldn’t really notice them in the sauce. I stick to a vegetarian lasagne; canned tomato sauce with “Italian spices” and garlic powder, and layers of pasta, ricotta, sauce, mozzarella (or shredded five-cheese Italian blend), and spinach.
As for boiled vs. no-boil, usually I go with the no-boil, although I always seem to have at least part of the top layer not get soft.
Oh, and for those of you who say “lasagna,” that’s the term for one noodle; “lasagne” is plural. You don’t say “tortellino” or “spaghetto” or “raviolo”; why use the singular for lasagne? (And I don’t care what this board’s spell checker claims; lasagne is a word.)
My version is a lazy Saturday afternoon affair…using toscan ragu, bechamel and fresh pasta
You will need:
1 batch ragu (about 1 litre/ 4 cups)
1 batch fresh pasta (about 1 lb, 7 oz)
1 batch bechamel sauce (about 1 litre/ 4 cups)
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup mozzarella cheese
1 lasagne pan
Preheat oven to 350°F
Spread a little bechamel on the bottom of the pan. Place a layer of noodles down. Follow with a layer of ragu, some more bechamel, a sprinkling of Parmesan, and another layer of noodles. Keep going, making as many layers as you can - at least four.
Top with mozzarella and bake 30 minutes. Broil for a minute to toast cheese on top. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes.
Ragu
Big splash olive oil
¼ oz dried mushrooms, rehydrated in hot water and chopped (reserve water)
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
12 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
Kosher salt
Hot pepper flakes
500 g (1 lb, 2 oz) ground beef
2 Italian sausages, crumbled, or 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped fine
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 cups red wine
Basil, oregano, and thyme - to taste.
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
Heat up the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot on medium/high heat. Add onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to stir. Season with a good pinch of kosher salt and a good pinch of hot pepper flakes. Add in your sausage and continue to cook, stirring regularly.
Add in your ground beef, breaking it up with your spoon or spatula.
When the meat is cooked through, add in the tomatoes and the wine, mushrooms and mushroom water. Add in a big pinch each of basil, oregano, and thyme.
Let come to a boil and then turn down to a low simmer, covered, for 4 hours. Adjust seasoning to taste and add parsley before taking off the heat.
Bechamel
1 litre (4 cups) whole milk - warmed
100 g (3½ oz) butter
80 g (3 oz) AP flour
salt
pepper
fresh grated nutmeg
In a large saucepan, heat up butter on medium. Add in flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add warm milk in by ladle-full, whisking well with each addition. Season to taste (liberally) with salt, pepper, and fresh ground nutmeg.
Tch. I’m not a redneck…but I do cook for some from time to time.
Seriously, the cheddar enriches the flavor profile nicely; it makes a good contrast with the sauce, if you don’t use too much. Whereas ricotta enhances the…packing peanut profile? Perhaps your lasagna is fragile?