Lasagna

This lasagna is AMAZING! It really is delish. . . best Treag and I have ever had we both agree. I was impressed how much Treagan enjoyed it, he never really likes the pasta dishes I make. He will eat them but he never says that was really good! ha so this is a keeper in my book! Only thing is, well I have never made lasagna before this one but it takes about 3 hours to make. . . do they all take that long? ha Well worth the wait though.  Also there are 3 parts to this recipe so keep scrolling down and it will make more sense I did it in sections not sure if it was the best idea but it will work! I also just cut the recipe in 1/2 for Treagan and myself since there is no way we could finish a huge dish of lasagna ourselves!  

12 no-boil lasagna noodles

8 oz. shredded mozzarella, divided

4 oz. shredded fresh Parmesan

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 16-oz. tub Ricotta

Mix all of these together in a bowl and put aside until the end. (not the noodles though of course)

*I started out with this sauce because it takes about an hour and 20 minutes to complete 

Pasta Sauce 

1/2 lb. ground beef or Italian sausage(I used the Italian Sausage yummy!)

2 15-oz. cans Italian-style diced tomatoes

1 15-oz. can tomato sauce

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

1 onion, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped or grated

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into small pieces

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 tsp. sugar

About 1/4 tsp. baking soda (this neutralizes the acid)

Salt and pepper to taste

(If you are not sure about adding the veggies to a sauce like I was do it! you honestly cant even taste them it just gives it a sweet taste,Treag didn't notice their was veggies until he finished)

In a large saucepan or skillet with a lid, brown ground beef (or sausage), onions, and garlic until meat is cooked and onions are tender. 

Add the remaining ingredients to the cooked meat, stir, and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. After an hour, remove from heat.

*You should start making the Béchamel Sauce when the pasta sauce has about 20 to 30 minutes left of simmering. Then they should finish at about the same time so you can just combine them together! 

Béchamel Sauce

1/4 c. (1/2 stick) real butter, NO SUBSTITUTES

1/4. c. white flour
2 1/2 c. milk

To prepare Béchamel sauce, melt butter over medium-low heat in a medium saucepan. When melted, whisk in flour until combined. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. (CONSTANTLY is the key word here! I stopped for just a second and it started to clump up within seconds!) Heat until bubbly and thickened to a medium consistency. when it starts to bubble dip a spoon in and wipe you finger on it.  if it leaves a clear trail its ready! (it takes about 30 minutes of whisking) 

When you are finished with the Béchamel Sauce add the Pasta Sauce to it and mix it all together!

Using a ladle that measures 1/2 c. (or a 1/2 c. measuring cup), spread 1 c. of sauce onto the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Add 3 noodles. Spread a layer of the cheese mixture. Spread 1 1/2 c. sauce and repeat so you have 4 layers of noodles. You should end with a layer of sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella (and some extra Parmesan if you have some left over).

Treags late night happy face! I love this boy! 

Enjoy!