Lasagna

Aaaahhhh Lasagna ! There is nothing like a hearty lasagna to warm your insides on a cold winters day. I have made this particular lasagna for the past 3 years and always receive compliments. Many lasagnas have bechemel sauce but I am not a fan of these ones. This version which is from Michael Smith Chef at Home has no bechemel. As with many dishes this is always better the day after. In the winters we ski on Sundays so I make this on Saturday and eat it on Sunday. It is also a great reason to put out the jardiniere.

I like to use the fresh no bake lasagna noodles you see in the photograph. They also come in whole wheat.

The picture above is before the lasagna goes in the oven. We were so excited and hungry I forgot to photograph it when it came out of the oven.

Ingredients

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 pound ground beef
• 4 Italian sausages, casings removed
• 1x28 ounce can tomatoes, crushed or pureed
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 2 cups beef stock
• 3 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 3 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper

Cheese Sauce

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup 35% cream
• 475 grams (1 pound) ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• Salt and pepper

Assembly

• 1 box of ready-to-bake lasagna noodles
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Sauce

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepot and add the onions.
2. Sauté until they soften and turn golden brown, about 5 minutes, and then add the garlic.
3. Sauté a few moments more then add the ground beef and sausage meat.
4. Chop the meats thoroughly with a spoon to break them up into small pieces.
5. Add the tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, beef stock, oregano, basil, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
6. Stir well and heat until the entire mixture is simmering and heated through.
7. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

Cheese Sauce

1. Whisk eggs and cream together, then stir in the cheeses.
2. Season with salt and pepper.

Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Layer the ingredients together in a 9" x 13" x 3" or other baking pan.
3. Follow this sequence: a cup or so of sauce, a layer of noodles, half of the cheese sauce, one third of the grated Parmesan, noodle layer, meat sauce layer, noodle layer, remaining cheese sauce, one third of the grated Parmesan, noodle layer, remaining meat sauce, remaining Parmesan.
4. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour.

Remove foil during last 15 minutes of cooking to allow the top to get golden and crusty.