Drop Dead Gorgeous...I mean delicious

This recipe is from Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen book. I made it awhile back, it's probably been two years, but I'll be making it, well helping someone make it, in two weeks.

Of course I don't remember too much about what I did the same or differently, so i'm just going to post this up now and come back later to fill in any notes I have on the recipe. I do remember that it was really good!

Also, before I go any further, anybody have a GREAT vegetarian lasagna recipe they can point me to. I'm helping the Joyous with this for a lasagna dinner party and we need a veggie recipe as well. I'd love to see if there is a red sauce one and white sauce one?!?!?

Thanks!

Drop-Dead Lasagna
from Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen

Time: 2 1/2 hours
Serves 12

This is the old-school lasagna that you find in the Italian restaurants in Brooklyn. Fuggedaboudit! You can assemble the lasagna ahead of time...and it's great for leftovers.

1 lb lasagna noodles
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion, diced
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 TB fennel seeds
1/2 TB red pepper flakes
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 TB dried oregano
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
Salt/Pepper
2 lb ricotta cheese
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 lbs shredded mozzarella cheese
4 cups Marinara Sauce (further down)
Additional Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving

Fill a large pasta pot with water and place over high heat. Add a generous amount of salt and bring to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles for only 8 minutes; they should still be somewhat firm, as they will continue to cook when you bake the lasagna. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse them quickly under cool water to stop the cooking process. Drizzle some olive oil so the sheets don't stick together, the set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and drizzle with {about 2 TB} of olive oil. Saute the onion, garlic and bay leaf for a couple of minutes, until the onions are translucent and smell sweet. Add the ground beef and pork, stirring to break it up, and cook until the meat is throroughly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain ou the excess fat. Combine the fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, brown sugar and dried oregano in a spice mill or a coffee grinder, give it a whirl, and sprinkle on the browned meat. Stir in the tomato paste until well blended; season with salt & pepper. Take the pan off the heat.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta and Parmigiano cheeses. Fold in the parsley, basil and eggs, season with salt and pepper, and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 350. Take inventory of the components you should have now: slightly cooked lasagna noodles, seasoned meat mixture, ricotta cheese filling, 2 pounds of mozzarella cheese, a pot of sauce and a 13 x 9 inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Let the layering begin.

Start by ladling enough sauce into the dish to cover the bottom; in my experience this prevents the lasagna from sticking. Layer 1 -- the noodles: slightly overlap 4 lasagna noodles lenghtwise so they completely cover the bottom with no gaps. Here is a little tip I swear by: if you take 2 lasagna noodles and line the short ends of the pan, they will act as brackets or a wall to give the lasagna support when you cut it. Layer 2 -- the meat: spread half the meat mixture on top of the noodles with a spatula. The emat mixture, being the most solid element, will act as a foundation. Layer 3 -- the cheese: spread half the ricotta cheese mixture over the meat, smooth out with a spatula, and then sprinkly a fhrist of the shredded mozzarella evenly over the ricotta mixture for that stringy cheese pull that you know and love. Layer 4 -- the sauce: top with a full ladle of tomato sauce, about 1 cup; smooth it out with a spatula. Repeat layers 1 through 4. Finish with a final layer of noodles, tomato sauce and the remaining mozarella. I like to tap the pan lightly on the counter to force out any air bubbles and to compress the layers.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until golden and bubbling. Allow the lasagna to sit for 20 minutes so it doesn't ooze all over the place when you cut it into squares. Pass the extra tomato sauce and grated Parmigiano around the table.



Marinara Sauce
from Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen

Makes 5 cups
Time: 1 hour

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (28 oz) cans of whole tomatoes
5 fresh basil leaves, cut in fine ribbons
2 TB chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 bay leaves
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp of sugar
salt/pepper

In a large pot over medium heat, heat {about 3 TB} of olive oil until hot. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes, or until the onions begin to appear translucent. Hand-crush the tomatoes and add them, along with their liquid, to the pot. Toss in the herbs, red pepper flakes and sugar; season with salt & pepper. Lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered. Stir occasionally. Remove bay leaves before serving.



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