Day 25. Italia

My better half is Italian-German. He’s also quite a chef, which is why I’ve lovingly referred to him as chef Matt. So tonight when he decided to make homemade lasagna, I was excited and hungry. What’s new? While he was preparing said dish, I made a plate of soft cheese, sausage and crackers – to whet the appetite, of course. 

Lasagna is not a difficult dish to make but it takes time to prepare. This I know because it happens to be the first dish I cooked for Matt on his 21st birthday. But I cheated and used Prego or Ragu and threw stuff in and miraculously, it was delicious and presentational. Chef Matt takes more care in the preparation of his dishes.

Pair with a favorite red wine {Gnarly Head}. Delicioso! {Ren Reiske © All Rights Reserved} 

Chef Matt’s lasagna:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 lb ground italian sausage

1 onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground oregano

1/4 cup fresh basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cans (14 oz) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

3 cups ricotta

1 (5 oz) package grated Parmigianno-Reggiano

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 – nine lasagna noodles (cook according to package)

4 (8 oz) packages of shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cook noodles and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine ground chuck, sausage, onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned and crumbled; drain. Return meat to pan and add oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, sauce and paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 to 45 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, parsley and eggs. Spoon 1/4 of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x13 x 2 inch baking pan. Place 3 lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Do not overlap noodles. Spread 1/3 of cheese mixture over noodles, top with 1/4 of sauce and 1/3 mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, ending with sauce, reserving 1/3 of mozzarella cheese. Bake 45 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.Set for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 10-12. Enjoy!