Classic Italian Lasagna

I first got the inspiration to make lasagna in preparation for a hurricane in New York City last summer. Hurricane Irene caused all the subways to be shut down and lower Manhattan to be evacuated. So knowing I wasn't going anywhere that weekend, I just wanted to stay in and eat. Given that I had all the time in the world, I really wanted to challenge myself with a recipe. I chose lasagna because I always felt that good lasagna could only be made by a fat italian mother who has been cooking in the kitchen from the day she was born. But I'm happy to say it came out glorious - with all of its crispy edges (thats the best part!). It involves a little more prep-work compared to other recipes, but it's well worth the labor. Below is a recipe that I used mainly from Giada De Laurentis on Food Network. I combined elements from a few lasagne recipes I found online and created this simplified one in just 3 easy steps.

Total Time: 1 hr and 15mins
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 45 mins

INGREDIENTS 

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground chuck beef
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
1 pound lasagna sheets, cooked al dente
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 onions
1 clove garlic
Fresh basil
Fresh Parsley 

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, a recipe follows: 

Simple Tomato Sauce: 
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional 

Béchamel Sauce: 
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons for the lasagna
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk at room temperature
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make Your Sauces First.

 
Tomato Sauce
In a large casserole pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors. 
Tip: If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Béchamel Sauce:
In a 2-quart pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and tomato sauce. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

2. Meat and Cheese!

In a saute pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking any large lumps, until it is no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain any excess fat. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

Cook the lasagna noodles per the instructions on the box to al dente. Salt the water to prevent the noodles from sticking together. While the noodles are soaking, make the cheese filling. In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Now Let's Start Building the Layers!

My best tip is to arrange all the ingredients of the layers in a assembly line! Trust me, this will do wonders to minimize confusion. Begin by spreading a layer of bechamel sauce in the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets and spread all the ground beef on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the mozzarella cheese on top of the beef. Spread another 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top lasagna. Top it off with any remaining béchamel sauce. It will coat the top of the lasagna nicely.

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place lasagna dish on top, cover and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until top is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes. Remove, let cool, and enjoy. Resist the urge to break off all the crispy noodle edges on top! I try to, but I usually cant resist!