Basic Lasagna (see previous post for photo)

This is a pretty good lasagna, if you’re looking for a recipe that is a step above just using jarred sauce and adding browned ground beef (and two steps above frozen). I’m experimenting with lasagna recipes at the moment and am looking for one that’s “just right”. I tend to like my lasagnas a little “saucier” than most people (and less “cheesy”), but if they’re too saucy, they won’t hold together when you cut them. If any of you have a recipe that’s just “perfect”, please let me know.

Pretty Good Lasagna

1 pound ground beef
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 Tbsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano leaves
1 1/2 tsp. Baby Bam seasoning, divided
1 Tbsp. whole fennel seeds
1 to 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 cans tomato paste (6 ounces each)
2 to 3 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup finely chopped white onion
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided

one package dried lasagna noodles (16 ounces)

1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
(I used fresh mozzarella, since I had a big chunk of it on hand)
3 cups ricotta cheese (low fat is fine, but I don’t care for the fat-free)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 beaten eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook meat and onion over medium-high heat until meat is browned and crumbly, but still very slightly pink and onion is softened and translucent. Add garlic and continue cooking until meat is thoroughly browned. Drain fat and lower heat. Add basil, oregano, Baby Bam, fennel seeds, vinegar and tomato paste to ingredients in pan and stir to throughly combine. Add about 1 cup of the stock and continue stirring and cooking, adding stock a little bit at a time as needed, as you continue cooking the sauce until ingredients are thoroughly blended and desired consistency is reached, about 30 minutes. Taste the sauce (with a clean spoon) and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

While sauce simmers, cook lasagna according to package directions and set aside on waxed paper, keeping the noodles separate.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, eggs, half of the parsley and 1/2 tsp. of the Baby Bam.

In a 9 X 13 inch baking pan, assemble the layers in the following order:
1/4 of the sauce
3 noodles
1/3 of the ricotta mixture
1/4 of the mozzarella
3 noodles

Repeat these layers twice, and then top with the remaining 1/4 of the sauce and 1/4 of the mozzarella.

Bake for 45 – 60 minutes, uncovered, until cooked through and browned on top. Lasagna will rise slightly out of the pan, but shouldn’t spill over. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into serving portions.