Lasagna

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 02:46:46 GMT

Step 1

Make this the night before you’re having the lasagna! Place both milks in a sauce pan and place over medium low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. The milk mixture will separate into curds and whey when it is approx. 176 degrees F. (I use my meat thermometer to gauge the milk temp while it's simmering) after about 1 min from when the milk starts separating, turn off the heat and let sit for at least 20 mins. Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl, then pour into the strainer. place in the fridge and allow to sit overnight. In the morning, place the contents of the strainer into a small bowl and add vinegar and salt and stir together then cover with saran wrap and place in the fridge. The more you stir, the smoother the cheese will get.

Step 2

While the sauce is simmering, Mix the ricotta with the egg and herbs, then place back in the fridge covered until ready for use.

Step 3

In a medium size bowl, place the flour and salt. In a smaller bowl, mix together egg, water & oil. add the wet mixture to the flour and salt and use a fork to mix together until it forms large clumps, then switch to using lightly floured hands to continue forming into a ball. Turn the ball onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 mins, until it forms a smooth ball with no clumps. Form into a ball, and wrap tightly in saran wrap and let sit at room temp for 1/2 an hour.

Step 4

After the dough has rested, cut the dough into 1/4s, working with 1/4 at a time, and covering the remaining 3/4 with a tea towel, to prevent drying out. Roll dough into a strip and fold in half. roll the dough out again and then fold into thirds, like a letter, then roll again. (The folding of the dough helps with the strength & elasticity for the finished product) Do this a couple times, then roll dough into sheets with a roller. You want the dough to be approx 1/8" thick. *If rolling the dough, start with the widest setting, then slowly work down until the flatness you like. Cut the sheet into strips the size to fit your pan, and place on a floured baking sheet, covering them with a tea towel. Repeat this process with the remaining dough portions.

Step 5

Just before assembling the lasagna, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and place a deep dish with ice water by the stove top. When water is boiling, grab 4-5 sheets of noodles and shake to remove excess flour. place in water until they float, approx. 2 min. Remove from water and immediately place in the ice water bath. Remove the noodles and place them on a plate with a damp tea towel covering them, to prevent drying out. (Blanching the noodles, allows them to stay firm but cook nicely with the finished product!)

Step 6

In a large pot, place the beef and pork on medium heat and cook until browned. Remove meat from the pot and place it on the side. (To remove as much fat as possible, I like to use a similar method to the ricotta and place the meat in a colander over a bowl to drain) Pour out 2/3 of the fat from the meat in the pot and add the olive oil. When oil is hot and ready, add all of the garlic and cook until caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. The bulbs should be a nice dark golden brown. When this happens, add canned tomatoes to the pot, as well as the fresh tomatoes. Using an immersion or hand blender, pulse the tomato and garlic mixture until almost smooth, but still some chunks in the sauce. Add the wine, salt, pepper, chili flakes, basil & parmesan rind and lower heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally. The mixture will be very watery, but it will reduce over time. After about an hour, add the meat back to the sauce, as well as the tomato paste. Cook down until desired thickness. (I simmer mine for around 3-4 hours, this makes a thick sauce that works well in lasagna) and when that is reached remove from heat The sauce makes extra usually that freezes very well for future pasta meals

Step 7

Chef Notes: If you don't have an immersion blender, place the canned tomatoes and fresh tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until semi smooth, then add to the garlic. Be careful with this step, as there is a bit of oil splashing when adding the tomatoes. No food processor? Mash the tomatoes with hands, and place the cooked garlic in a separate bowl and mash with a fork. Add the garlic to the tomatoes & mix together

Step 8

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Step 9

In a 9" x 13" pan, place a layer of meat sauce on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with a light mix of mozzarella and parmesan, then place a layer of noodles over top. On the noodle layer, add another meat layer, then cheese, then more noodles, then spread the ricotta on top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese before adding more noodles on top, then another meat layer. This might be close to the top of the pan so if you cannot add more ( you want to finish with a meat layer before adding final layer of cheese), cover the top with mozzarella and parmesan, grind black pepper over the cheese, then place tomatoes, basil & chives on top of the lasagna. Place in the oven and cook until the cheese on top is melted and golden brown, approx 35-40 mins, depending on your stove.

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