Mama Fresina's Lasagna From One Big Table Cookbook
Recipe adapted from One Big Table by Molly O'Neill
Mama Fresina's Lasagna
Mama Fresina's Lasagna adapted from One Big Table by Molly O'Neill
Prep Time
0
minutes
Cook Time
1
hour
Servings
6
Servings
Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- One 1-pound box lasagna noodles
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil2 pounds ground beef
- Freshly ground black pepper2 cups diced onions10 garlic cloves, minced (¼ cup)2 cups cooked spinach, drained (or frozen spinach--thawed, drained and patted dry)1 teaspoon dried oregano2 teaspoons chopped parsley2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
- Two 6-ounce cans tomato paste
- Two 14-ounce cans high-quality tomato sauce1 cup sliced white mushrooms1 cup cottage cheese1 cup ricotta cheese2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil over high heat, carefully add the lasagna noodles (to prevent breaking) and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the noodles and cool completely under cold water. Toss the noodles with some of the olive oil to prevent them from sticking; set aside.
- Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook the meat until brown, stirring to break it up, about 10 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper and reserve, discarding the excess fat. Return the pot to medium heat, add the olive oil and, when it is warm, add the onions and garlic and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach. Add the oregano, parsley and basil, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned. Add the tomato sauce to the paste and stir to combine. Stir in the onion and garlic mixture. Simmer for several minutes, add the mushrooms, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the meat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Remove the pot from the heat and beat in the cottage cheese and the ricotta to make a creamy tomato sauce.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. To assemble the lasagna, ladle a layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of noodles, then top with the sauce and the shredded mozzarella. Repeat three times, leaving about ½ inch of space between the top of the lasagna and the edge of the pan to avoid overflow. Top with sauce and grated mozzarella and bake, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until bubbly. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc, NY