My Lasagna Recipe!!!

I’ve had several requests over the last two days to write about my food and wine experiences over the years. I’ve had many, some good and some bad, some unmentionable I’d like to keep a secret out of shame and disgust. Making and understanding good food is an art form and kinda like the legal definition of porn. “you don’t know what it is until you see it” and obviously taste it. So I pondered the topic for a day or so and then it was suggested to me today that I write about my own “cooking experiences and expertise”. Apparently some of my good friends that have had the fortune of experiencing my cooking over the years believe that I can do pretty damn well in the kitchen even though I had no formal culinary training other than one 5 hour cooking class about a year ago. So I’m going to share SOME of my “forbidden cooking knowledge” by divulging my secret Lasagna recipe (Photo Note: the picture to the left is my actual homemade  lasagna from 2-13-11).

I chose Lasagna because it is not an easy dish to make nor is it really a hard dish, but if you fuck it up even a little the results can be disastrous. Occasionally from time to time down the road if you enjoy this blog, I’ll toss in another one of my secret recipes but now it is Lasagna time. So drop your cock’s and grabs some pots, or drop whatever it is your holding including a newborn if you have one handy and happen to be holding one and prepare to make a Lasagna dish that will knock you socks off if you’re wearing any; or at least loosen any prosthetic limbs you may have below the waistline.

The Recipe:

At this time you can pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a large cooking pot mix the following ingredients together as such and then let them cook for about 10 to 12 minutes on medium to medium high heat until the meat is brown. Stir often every couple of minutes to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.

• 1 lb of sweet Italian sausage chopped up into 1/2 inch pieces.
• 1 lb of fresh ground beef.
• 1/2 chopped up onion.
• 1/2 chopped up zucchini.
• 1 handful of fresh chopped up sun-dried tomatoes.
• 1 large clove of freshly chopped garlic.
• 1 handful of freshly chopped brown mushrooms.
• 1 handful of fresh spinach leaves.
• 6 chopped sweet peppers; 2 red, 2 yellow, and 2 orange.

After the meat is brown and the ingredients mixed well add the following to the cooking pot;

• 1  28 oz can of whole tomatoes.
• 1  24 oz can or jar of Red Roasted Pepper Tomato Sauce.
• 1/2 cup of warm water.
• 1  12 oz can of ripe tomato paste.

Stir the ingredients together well for about 3 to 5 minutes on medium to medium high heat. Then add the following to the “meat sauce” in the cooking pot;

• 4 packets of Splenda.
• 1 table-spoon of Fennel Seed.
• 1 fistful of chopped fresh Basil leaves.
• 1 table-spoon of fresh Parsley.
• 1 table-spoon of Sea Salt.
• 1 table-spoon of Italian Seasoning.
• 1/2  table-spoon of black ground pepper.
• 1 tea-spoon of Oregano.

Stir the ingredients together slowly for about 3 to 5 minutes while cooking on medium to medium high heat, and then cover and let simmer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally every few minutes then re-cover and let simmer again.

Once the meat sauce has cooked for about 30 to 35 minutes you can then place the Lasagna noodles in a 10 x 13 inch pan with warm water and let them soak for 15 minutes.

At this time you can start the cheese mix while the meat sauce comes to its final pot cooking period and the noodles soak in the warm water.

Mix the following ingredients together thoroughly in a large mixing bowl for about 5 minutes to make the cheese mix;

• 24 oz’s of fresh ricotta cheese.
• 1 egg.
• 1 table-spoon of ground Cinnamon.
• 2 table spoons of fresh Parsley.

At the 45 minute mark remove the Lasagna noodles from the warm water and let them drip dry for about 1 minute until the water is almost all off the noodles.

Set up your oven ready cooking pan which should measure 10 inches wide x 13 inches in length x 4 inches in-depth. The oven ready pan can be either glass or metal or even an aluminum type of cooking dish.

Layout the ingredients as such to layer the Lasagna before baking;

• spread out evenly at the base of the oven ready pan 2 to 2.5 cups of the meat sauce.
• lay down the first layer of noodles over the meat sauce evenly.
• spread 1/2 of the cheese mix over the 1st layer of noodles.
• spread 1 layer of fresh mozzarella cheese sliced about 1/4 of an inch thick over the cheese mix.
• spread 1 layer of fresh grated parmesan cheese over the layer of fresh mozzarella cheese.
• spread out evenly another 2 to 2.5 cups of the meat sauce over the parmesan cheese layer.
• lay down another layer of Lasagna noodles.
• spread the remaining 1/2 of the cheese mix over the 2nd layer of noodles.
• spread 1 more layer of fresh mozzarella cheese sliced about 1/4 of an inch thick over the cheese mix.
• spread 1 more layer of fresh grated parmesan cheese over the layer of fresh mozzarella cheese.
• spread out evenly the remainder of the meat sauce over the parmesan cheese layer.
• add the final Lasagna noodle layer over the meat sauce.
• add 1 more layer of fresh grated parmesan cheese over the Lasagna noodles.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place it in the oven to cook for about 40 to 45 minutes at 400 degrees.

After 40 to 45 minutes has passed, remove the Lasagna from the oven and uncover the dish. Let the Lasagna cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

This dish is best served with a red Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon wine, preferably a 2003 or 2004 California red which was a good year for the California grape. However any good red wine such as Forrest Glen, Yellow Tail, or Talus which is excellent and inexpensive will also do. Or you could go for broke and find something else “red” you may want to try at top dollar.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: I’m going on a diet or have been for sometime…. New Recipes will follow soon….maybe in the next blog or two! YUM, YUM! Thinking of a traditional Spanish dish? HMMMMM

 

© 2011 by layingdownthelawlessness. All rights reserved

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