lasagna Archives - Proud Italian Cook

Party Size Lasagna

December 24, 2021 by Marie 10 Comments

Lasagna is the perfect party dish when serving a crowd, almost everyone loves it and the best part is you can assemble it the day before so all the dirty work is done and you can enjoy your guests the day of the party.

There’s nothing like the comforting smell of lasagna cooking in the oven. Who can resist layers of a rich meat sauce, creamy ricotta, melted cheese and pasta sheets that meld together and become one.

This is an Italian-American version of lasagna, sometimes known as Christmas lasagna in many households. An authentic Italian recipe is made with a Bolognese sauce and bechamel, both versions are delicious in their own special ways.

There’s also hundreds of variations using fresh pasta sheets, dry pasta, no boil and boil pasta. I’m using dry pasta that I pre-boiled just until it starts to get limp. I never got into the no-boil trend, although I’ve tried several times I always go back to my “old school ” ways.

Since this recipe is all about feeding a large party size crowd I recommend using a large roasting pan, about the size 15 x 11 x 4 inches deep or close to those dimensions, I’ve seen 16 x 12 inch roasting/baking pans on Amazon, even the blue speckled kind that I have.

One of the benefits of using this type of pan is that the filling is contained so well with no drip overs or spillage, plus you can make it several layers deep and it’s easy to cut.

I would advise making your meat sauce one or two days ahead of assembly day so it’s done and you’re ready to go!

Make sure the pasta completely covers the whole bottom of the pan.

Spread your meat sauce and ricotta, you don’t need to completely cover each layer, with six layers deep it all gets covered in the end.

Mozzarella and pecorino cheese a must.

Almost to the top!

Six layers deep all prepped for the next day.

At this point just top it with foil and stick it into the fridge.

Baked to perfection the next day.

A real crowd pleaser! Serve it as a main with a big green salad on the side along with some crusty bread.

The secret ingredient is love ❤️

Party Size Lasagna

There's nothing like a big lasagna to get the party going!

Author: Marie

Ingredients

MEAT SAUCE
1 lb. mild Italian sausage
1 lb. ground chuck
4 - 28 oz. cans of whole San Marzano tomatoes
8 cloves of garlic, minced
fresh basil
3- 1 lb. boxes of curly edge long lasagna noodles
RICOTTA FILLING
3 lbs. good ricotta from an Italian deli which should be drained overnight so liquid is released
I heaping cup of grated Pecorino, plus extra for each layer
3 eggs, whisked
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup chopped basil,
or ½ cup chopped frozen spinach that has been squeezed of all liquid
salt and pepper to taste
heaping ½ cup of shredded mozzarella, (dry, not fresh) plus an additional pound or so for the layers.( depending how cheesy you want it, I tend to go lighter).
olive oil
NOTE; YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SO EXACT, THIS IS JUST AN APPROXIMATE AMOUNT.

Instructions

Make your meat sauce ahead of time 2 or 3 days before assembling the lasagna.
In a large heavy bottomed pan, brown your two meats together, breaking up any large chunks with a wooden spoon.
When meat is brown, remove onto a paper towel to soak up any grease and wipe out any excess grease from pan.
Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan along with the chopped garlic, when golden add in all your tomatoes with a teaspoon of salt per can, use an immersion blender to make it smooth or squish them down.
Add the meat back in along with some fresh basil and let it simmer for an hour or so.
********
The day of assembly add your drained ricotta into a large bowl along with the grated Pecorino, ½ cup of shredded mozzarella, parsley, basil or chopped spinach. (at this point taste it for seasoning
before you add the raw eggs, maybe you like more salt and pepper or more grated cheese, do it to your liking). Mix the. eggs and everything together well.
Prep the noodles 1 lb. at a time, unless you have a huge pan, cooking them in salted water and a short drizzle of olive oil in the pot to prevent sticking, boil until the noodles are limp then pull them out one by one with tongs and place onto an oiled rimmed baking sheet to cool down.
Repeat. Add more water to the pot if need be and get it to boil again before adding more pasta.
*****For Assembly***
Have your noodles, meat sauce, ricotta mixture, shredded mozzarella and additional Pecorino assembled in front of your roasting pan.
Oil the pan on sides and bottom.
Add sauce enough to cover the bottom of the whole pan.
Add pasta noodles.
Top with sauce then ricotta mixture, sporadically placed.
Spread the shredded mozzarella and pecorino all over on top.
Repeat up to six layers.
Top layer will be sauce and pecorino.
At this point, cover with foil and refrigerate.
*****
When ready to bake remove from fridge an hour before to take the chill out.
Loosen the foil and place in a pre-heated oven at 375F.
After 30 minutes remove the foil and top it with shredded mozzarella, as much to your liking and bake in for another 20- 30 minutes, then check it.
The middle needs to be hot so check with a thermometer, temp should be at least 165 internal in the center and all around,
Cook more if needed.
Let it rest for at least 30 minutes or so, you want. nice cuts.
Garnish with basil and more pecorino.
Serve with extra warmed sauce on the side.
Servings depend on how big you cut them, 15ish or so.
You might have extra pasta sheets left over but you definitely need more than 2 boxes.
NOTE: You can also make this with a marinara sauce as well and eliminate the meat. (I have a recipe on my website.)

10 Comments Filed Under: Party Foods, Pasta Tagged: lasagna, lasagne, meat sauce, party size

Seafood Freeform Lasagna with Lemon Cream Sauce

February 5, 2021 by Marie 6 Comments

If you’re looking for a special date night dinner, something a little fancy but not so hard to make try this seafood freeform lasagna, what makes it even more special is the subtle lemon cream sauce that’s spooned all over.

This is the perfect dinner to have on Valentines Day which is coming up soon and I’m quite sure many of us will be dining at home. This is meant for two people but you can certainly double the recipe for more to enjoy if need be.

I used a mix of scallops and shrimp in this easy freeform lasagna, which is highlighted with a touch of Limoncello for a smack of bright lemon flavor!

The prep work is all done in advance so when it’s time to eat all you have to do is pop your dish into the oven, warm it up and get that golden top.

You’ll be spending all your time with your date instead of cooking and cleaning in the kitchen all night, and that’s a good thing!

The lemon sauce is very light, you can use half lemon juice and half Limoncello or just all lemon juice. I wouldn’t do all Limoncello because that would be too sweet tasting and overpower the seafood.

If lemon is not your thing, you can make a nice white sauce to top it off like a béchamel, that would be equally as delicious and creamy to top it off.

Cut your lasagna noodles to fit into individual ramekins if using or if you end up using a bigger dish, it doesn’t have to fit perfect.

Then you’re going to layer all that amazing seafood on top. It’s a delicious mix of chopped scallops, shrimp, garlic, shallots with a little ricotta and mascarpone for creaminess and to help bind it all.

Save some whole shrimp for garnish it makes a striking presentation. This can be served along side a beautiful salad or if you really want to go all out, a steak for some surf and turf!

5.0 from 3 reviews

Seafood Freeform Lasagna with Lemon Cream Sauce

A date night or Valentines Day dinner for you and your special someone.

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1 lb. seafood, I used a combo of ½ lb. shrimp and ½ lb. scallops, you can also use all shrimp or any combo of your choice, peeled and deveined leaving a couple of whole shrimp or scallops for garnish
6 lasagna sheets, pre-boiled
SEAFOOD MIXTURE INGREDIENTS
drizzle of olive oil
1 large shallot, small dice
2 large garlic, minced
2 heaping tablespoons chopped parsley, extra for garnish
¼ cup of ricotta
1 heaping tablespoon mascarpone cream
1 tablespoon, limoncello in the seafood mix or use 1 tablespoon, lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
FOR THE LEMON CREAM SAUCE
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter and extra to butter your ramekins
2 Tablespoons, Limoncello ( or use all lemon juice to make up the 4 Tablespoons)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Pre boil your lasagne noodles, according to the time directions on the box, cool them down and set aside.
Chop up your seafood into bite size pieces, making sure to clean your shrimp beforehand, and setting aside 1 or 2 for garnish.
For the whole shrimp garnish, season them and stick into a 420F oven until cooked through, then set aside.
Butter 2 -6 inch" ramekins or 1- 12 inch"
Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a sauté pan, add the shallot and garlic til soft then toss in the chopped seafood, tossing gently till cooked. Don't over cook!
Add 1 Tablespoon of Limoncello to the mix or lemon juice as well as the parsley.
Let the mixture cool down then add the ricotta and mascarpone, folding it in and mixing it til incorporated.
Make your lemon cream sauce by placing both Limoncello, ( 2 tablespoons) and lemon juice( 2 tablespoons) in a small sauce pan together ( or use all lemon juice( 4 tablespoons).
Once warm whisk in your butter.
When the butter melts in add the heavy cream gently stirring on low heat until the cream thickens.
NOW FOR ASSEMBLY
Line the bottom of your ramekins with a few cooked lasagna noodles, cutting them if need be to fit.
Spread a little of the lemon cream sauce on the noodles.
Divide your seafood mix between the two ramekins and spread on top of the pasta.
Use the remaining lasagna noodles to fit over the top of the seafood mixture.
Spoon some of the lemon sauce all around.
This all can be prepped ahead of time.
When you’re ready to serve you can place the ramekins under your broiler to warm it up and get some golden color on top, but if you do you can't walk away!
Stay near the oven broiler and keep checking to make sure it doesn’t burn,.
You can also heat them in the oven at 375 just til heated through, ovens vary so keep checking, it won't take too long, and remember everything is cooked already.
If you want a little more golden on top, stick it under the broiler for that, but again do not walk away!
Spoon some of the lemon cream on top to finish, garnish with chopped parsley and top it off with the whole cooked shrimp.
Enjoy!

6 Comments Filed Under: Pasta, Seafood Tagged: date night, freeform lasagna, lasagna, scallops, shrimp, Valentines day dinner

Easy Roasted Vegetable Lasagna with No Boil Noodles

January 14, 2020 by Marie 10 Comments

This delicious vegetable lasagna is easy to make, full of flavor and showcases a superabundance of roasted vegetables. It’s also meat-free, light and fresh and very customizable.

By customizable I mean there’s no specific veggies you need to use, I actually went through my fridge and roasted every vegetable I saw. Of course if you like certain vegetable combinations together like spinach and mushroom or whatever just do it, it will work!

Don’t stress about certain combinations, use what you like or have available like I did.

This is what I had in my fridge, I like roasting vegetables every week any way and I usually buy a lot. I’ll have some for lunch, use them as sides for dinner and in the morning with eggs but this time I decided to also make a veggie lasagna with some of them.

I had three Japanese eggplants, a few carrots, two red peppers, a small head of cauliflower, one yellow squash, one bunch of kale, a small butternut squash and some brussel sprouts (that I did not use in the lasagna). All veggies were roasted on sheet pans separately at 425 degrees drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper, roasted til slightly golden.

All the roasting of the veggies can be done a day or two ahead of time.

I have to admit I wasn’t a fan of the no boil noodles, ones that I’ve tried in the past did not impress me at all. But the Delverde brand really caught my eye, I liked the ridges and I knew that their pasta was good so I thought I’d give them a try. This time I have to say at least with this brand, I’m a fan, and this isn’t sponsored!

The pasta sheets weren’t paper thin, they still had a nice texture and bite to them and they weren’t heavy tasting at all.

One thing I never liked about the no boil pasta was trying to spread sauce and ricotta on a dry stiff noodle, it’s weird to me because I always used the curly lasagna sheets that had to be boiled first.

But I found that if you just wet them one by one in a quick dip of warm water, they become a little pliable, easier to spread sauce and cheese onto, and easier to press down on them after the layers are formed, so that’s what I did.

All the veggies you see in the container above I actually used, ( except for the brussels) but I chopped them up so they would be easier to eat and be more bite sized pieces in the lasagna.

In between the layers I added thinly sliced raw zucchini. Zucchini cooks up so fast there was no need to roast it ahead of time as long as it was thinly cut.

I like using a mix of shredded and fresh mozzarella cheese along with the ricotta and grated pecorino.

Top it off with some pine-nuts and bake it all together!

Simple comfort food adapted to whatever vegetables you have on hand transforms into a very special meal.

A worthy treat for yourself, your family and your guests to enjoy!

Follow me on Instagram to see what else I’m cooking up during the week.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Easy Roasted Vegetable Lasagna with No Boil Noodles

Use any mix of veggies you like, just have them pre-roasted ahead of time.

Author: Marie

Ingredients

at least 4 cups or more, ( I would go with more just in case and depending on the size of your lasagna) of a mix of roasted veggies, any combination you like cut into bite sized pieces, roasted at 425 until slightly golden, refer to my post
2 zucchini sliced thin, kept raw
no boil pasta sheets, enough for 3 layers to your lasagna either for an 8x8 pan or a 9x13
1 lb. good ricotta, drained well of all liquid
2 eggs
roughly 1lb. each of fresh and shredded mozzarella ( you might not use it all).
marinara sauce, good quality or homemade
grated pecorino or parmigiano cheese
fresh chopped parsley and pine nuts for garnish

Instructions

Dip each pasta sheet into warm water to slightly soften, one by one.
Mix ricotta with the 2 eggs and a handful of grated cheese, salt and pepper. Combine til incorporated.
Butter casserole dish and ladle sauce all over the bottom.
Add enough noodles to cover the bottom of the pan.
Ladle sauce all over noodles.
Spread mixed veggies all over the noodles.
Sprinkle with grated cheese, shredded cheese and dot it with torn, fresh mozzarella.
Layer the zucchini strips to cover first layer.
Add more sauce on top of zucchini.
Spread ricotta mixture all over, you probably won't use all of it but spread a nice amount because this is the only layer you will do it on.
Repeat with all the other ingredients until you reach the top.
Spoon sauce all over, add shredded cheese and slices of fresh mozzarella, chopped parsley and pine nuts.
Drizzle with olive oil and place foil over pan.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Take foil off and bake for 10 more minutes. Sides should be bubbling.
Place under the broiler for a few seconds to get the cheese extra golden.
Let it rest for ½ hour before cutting.

10 Comments Filed Under: Pasta, Vegetables Tagged: lasagna, lasagne, meatfree, roasted veggie, veggie lasagna

Noodle-less Loaf Pan Butternut Squash Lasagna

October 2, 2017 by Marie 11 Comments

Butternut Squash is hands down my favorite winter squash, come fall I can’t get enough of it and you’ll always see one or two sitting on my kitchen counter. Butternut squash is so versatile, you can put it in just about everything and believe me I have!

If you look through my blog you’ll see different ways that I’ve used it over the years, and one of the ways is in a lasagna. Butternut squash has a slightly sweet, buttery nutty flavor and it goes wonderful with creamy ricotta and a béchamel sauce, it’s so decadent and delicious.

This is the time of year when my garden is full of sage and butternut squash and sage make a perfect pairing together, I especially love to infuse my béchamel sauce with garlic and sage, it’s dreamy.

If you search my archives you’ll see that I once made individual butternut squash lasagna’s minus the noodles in a free form manner. For this time I wanted to try making it in a loaf pan which allowed me to get many layers and some nice height, and this version is minus the noodles as well. The loaf pan holds everything nicely together and gives the lasagna a little more structure since the pasta is not there to give it more body.

I lined my loaf pan with parchment, (which is optional) because honestly I wanted to un-mold it and take a nice photo to show you, but you have to really cool it down to be able to remove the parchment without destroying your lasagna, so I would suggest make it the day before or early in the morning if you want to do the same, chilling it for an easy removal, then just warm it and serve it with warm béchamel, otherwise make it without the parchment.

Either way it’s magical and tastes like a dream and trust me you won’t miss the pasta at all, in fact I prefer it without because all the flavors are true and not soaked up by the pasta.

The loaf pan makes you able to create multiple layers of goodness, just remember to let it set before cutting into it so all the creaminess can tighten up a bit, just like a traditional lasagna it’s a mess if you cut into it hot, the layers get lost.

I hope you try my noodle-less, loaf pan butternut squash lasagna, I promise you won’t miss the pasta one bit!

Follow along with me on Instagram to see what else I’m making during the week.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Noodle-less Loaf Pan Butternut Squash Lasagna

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1 loaf pan, buttered, lined with parchment which is an optional step for removal of whole loaf
NOTE; If you don't want to remove whole lasagna out of the pan, omit parchment.
2 butternut squash, peeled and sliced lengthwise (as much as possible, then into lengthwise pieces) roasted at 375 on a rimmed baking sheet at 375 until softened up a bit but still al'dente
3 cups, ricotta cheese
½ cup grated pecorino cheese, plus extra for garnish
1½ cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
BECHAMEL SAUCE
2 cups, whole milk
4 tablespoons, flour
4 tablespoons, butter
sprig of sage, plus extra for garnish
1 garlic clove, smashed
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Roast sliced squash a head of time so it can cool down. Set aside.
Mix up the ricotta mixture with the chopped spinach, egg, grated cheese's, both pecorino and mozzarella, salt and pepper. Set aside.
TO MAKE THE BECHAMEL SAUCE;
In a saucepan, melt butter, add garlic then whisk in flour until it incorporates and turns golden, not dark brown.
Pour in a few tablespoons of the milk, whisking until moistened.
Add the remaining milk whisking vigorously until it starts to thicken and right before it starts to bubble on the sides, take it off the heat.
Now the layering process begins, add a couple of tablespoons of bechamel to the bottom of pan, then a layer of squash, enough to fit all the edges and middle of the pan. Spread ricotta layer on top, smooth with the back of a spoon or an off set spatula, add two more tablespoons of sauce and repeat layers until you reach the top of the loaf pan, reserving the prettiest looking pieces of squash for the very top.
Spread the top with bechamel and sprinkle with pecorino and top with some sage leaves before baking.
Bake 350- 375 uncovered until cheese is melted and heated through, and golden on top, ovens vary with time, check after 30 minutes.
Let it set up before cutting, mine set for 2 hours.
You should have extra sauce to serve with it, if you want more bechamel just double the recipe.
Enjoy!

11 Comments Filed Under: Fall, Vegetables Tagged: bechamel sauce, butternut squash, butternut squash lasagna, gluten free, lasagna, lasagne, low carb, sage infused bechmal

Eggplant and Burrata Lasagna

April 2, 2016 by Marie 9 Comments

Lets just start out by talking about burrata cheese because it’s the key ingredient in this lasagna, no ricotta is required. Burrata is quite popular now but if you’re unfamiliar with it burrata is a basically a fresh cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell consists of fresh mozzarella but when you gently tear into the middle it’s filled with soft cream filled curds, it’s heavenly!

If you can get a hold of the imported burrata straight from Italy, please do so it’s such a treat, smear it on some crusty bread and you’ll be speechless! The good news is it’s also produced here in the U.S. and it’s pretty easy to find and that type is perfect for this recipe.

You’ll also need some roasted tomatoes and roasted eggplant slices, marinara and lasagna sheets, the kind you have to boil. I never got on that no-boil band wagon, I’ve tried them a few times and didn’t like the taste or texture it’s just not the same in my opinion, so for this recipe boil your pasta please!

Serving the lasagna in individual gratin dishes makes for a nice presentation and it’s so much more special that way, don’t you think? Prepped and ready to go into the oven, which by the way you can prepare ahead of time.

If you have a smaller size dish you can always cut your lasagna sheets to fit it, after it’s boiled it’s easy to cut. I used three sheets per serving.

This is so light and luxurious, the creamy burrata is the shining star that takes this over the top and the eggplant and roasted tomatoes add so much depth of flavor.

It’s a winner, make it for someone special.

(Follow Proud Italian Cook on Instagram to see what else I’m cooking up during the week.)

4.0 from 1 reviews

Eggplant and Burrata Lasagna

Author: Marie

Ingredients

Ingredients are for two servings, feel free to double or triple.
3 balls of burrata
1 medium eggplant cut into circles, roasted or pan sauteed in olive oil until golden crisp
1 pint of colored cherry tomatoes, left whole, roasted in olive oil with fresh basil
1 quart of marinara sauce, preferably homemade, (you'll have leftover)
6 pasta sheets, three per serving, the kind you have to boil, cooked al'dente
fresh basil for garnish

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Brush 2 individual gratin dishes with olive oil.
Spoon marinara on the bottom of each.
Place one sheet of lasagna down and spoon marinara on top then add three slices of cooked eggplant.
Gently tear into the burrata and place pieces on top of eggplant.
Scatter the roasted tomatoes on top with some shredded basil.
Then repeat two more times. pasta sheet, marinara, eggplant, burrata, tomatoes and basil.
Place gratin dishes on a rimmed baking sheet for easy in and out of oven.
Bake for about 15 minutes just until warmed and burrata has gently melted.
Let it rest a few minutes before serving when sauce has stopped bubbling.
Garnish with more shredded basil.