BEEF LASAGNE ala Pasta& Co.

* Exported from MasterCook *

BEEF LASAGNE ala Pasta & Co.

Recipe By : Marcella Rosene, Pasta & Co By Request (a Seattle Take
Out)
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cookbook Italian
Pasta

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
*****SAUCE:*****
1 1/4 pounds ground beef -- lean
1/4 cup olive oil -- pure
1 1/3 cups onions -- coarsley chopped
1 tablespoon oregano -- heaping
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic -- finely minced
1 1/2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine -- (plus 3
1 tablespoon )
3 1/4 CUPS tomatoes -- crushed in puree
preferred brand: Patadiso***(keep extra
juice -- see note)
5 ounces frozen spinach -- thawed
--- squeeze dry of all liquid
*****CHEESE:*****
3 cups mozzarella cheese -- grated
1/2 cup feta cheese -- crumbled
*****BECHAMEL:******
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup cream
-- Big pinch white pepper
-- Big pinch thyme
-- Big pinch nutmeg
-- Big pinch basil
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour -- (plus 1 tablespoon
flour)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese -- grated -- (plus 1
1 tablespoon P. cheese)
3 tablespoons Romano cheese -- grated
-- Uncooked fresh lasagne noodles,enough
for three layers in a 9-inch by 13-inch
pan
1/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese -- freshly grated
1 teaspoon parsley -- very finely chopped

***(There will be a couple of ounces left in the 28-ounce can. Save it.
You will use it in assembling the lasagne.)
This is the lasagne we have made and sold for a decade. Several things
set this version apart from the dozens of other lasagne recipes. Its
sauce is strongly seasoned with oregano. It calls for a thick filling of
bechamel instead of ricotta cheese. It uses feta cheese to step up the
flavor of the dish. And it takes advantage of fresh lasagne noodles,
which can go into the dish with no precooking. Our sales of this product
are the best proof that the formula works. PREPARE-AHEAD/SERVING NOTES:
Make a day ahead and bake when needed, or do as we do and freeze. Take
the lasagne straight from the freezer to the oven and adjust the cooking
time accordingly. Caution: Be sure to let the lasagne sit 20 minutes
before serving. ESSENTIAL GEAR: Shallow baking pan (9 by 13 inches)
To make sauce, cook ground beef in a saute pan over medium heat until
pink is gone and meat is crumbly. Remove from heat and pour meat through
a colander to drain off all fat. Reserve meat. (Be certain it is
well-crumbled. If it is not, break it up using a potato masher or large
wooden spoon.) In the same saucepan, heat olive oil and add onions,
oregano, garlic, basil, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook
over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add wine, bring to a
boil, and cook until alcohol has evaporated--- about 10 minutes. Stir in
tomatoes. Add spinach and reserved meat. Continue simmering for a few
minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.
Mix together mozzarella and feta cheeses and set aside.
To make bechamel, heat milk, cream, white pepper, thyme, nutmeg, and
basil in a small saucepan until it nears a boil. Turn off heat. Melt
butter in a medium-size saute pan. When foam from butter recedes, remove
from heat, add flour, and mix well. Return to medium-low heat and,
stirring frequently, simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to cook, but not brown,
the flour. Gradually stir in hot milk and cream mixture. Raise heat to
medium-high and continue stinnng until mixture is smooth and
thick--about 5 minutes. Add Parmesan and Romano cheeses and whisk until
smooth. This should be the texture of wallpaper paste, not of the white
sauce more often associated with bechamel.
To make topping, mix together bread crumbs, Parmesan, and parsley.
Reserve.
TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Spread 2 tablespoons of the tomato juices left in
the can of tomatoes on the bottom of a shallow baking dish (9 by 13
inches). Lay in one layer of the uncooked lasagne noodles. Spoon on 3
cups of the meat sauce. Spread 1 cup of bechamel across the sauce in two
diagonals (no need to spread evenly at this point). Top with 2 cups of
cheese mixture. Lay on another layer of lasagne noodles and repeat,
using the same amounts of sauce (be sure to get every dab of the meat
sauce - there is no extra to spare), bechamel, and cheese. Top with last
layer of noodles, and with fingertips, press lightly to distribute
bechamel smoothly in the layers. Using a long metal spatula, "frost" top
layer of noodles with remaining bechamel. Be sure to completely cover
noodles so that they do not dry out in baking. Sprinkle evenly with
reserved bread crumb mixture.
Bake lasagne at 400 degrees F for about 60 minutes or until sauce
bubbles around the edge and top is nicely browned. If top browns too
quickly, cover with aluminum during last 10 minutes of cooking. If
baking the lasagne straight from the freezer,add about 20 minutes to
cooking time. Once out of the oven, let lasagne set up for about 20
minutes before serving. (This is critical for ease of serving.)
SERVES 8 TO 10.



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