Best Lasagna - part 2 - The MAIN DISH

Lasagna – part 2

And now for the star of the show…… The Lasagna!!

Ok….. you’ve already done the most time consuming part of this recipe – The Sauce. Now you’re ready to have some fun and start assembling your Lasagna. Don’t worry – this step doesn’t take long and taking the gorgeously delicious sauce you’ve made to the next level by making it into a beautiful Lasagna is worth every bite.

Really and truly, this will be the BEST Lasagna you’ve ever had! At first blush it might seem that this recipe is rather unconventional but trust me - once you make Lasagna this way you’ll never go back to the more traditional ‘meat & cheese’ versions. It’s a proper all-in-one meal offering an array of textures and flavours….and you even get your veggies!

A few notes about making Lasagna –

Tip #1 - Many Lasagna recipes call for Ricotta cheese but I prefer using Cottage Cheese instead. Ricotta can be expensive, heavy in calories and quite rich in flavour. I personally feel that it can over power the other delicate ingredients within the dish. If you really want that thick creamy texture that Ricotta offers then by all means use it! Using Cottage Cheese is a budget friendly and lower calorie alternative.

Tip #2 – Don’t use low fat/skim milk mozzarella!!! Similar to other ‘light’ food products - they just aren’t the same as their full fat versions and low fat mozzarella is probably the worst of the bunch! It will have a rubbery texture and will not melt well. You might think you’re doing your waistline a favour but you’re doing your taste buds a serious disservice! If you do anything – please, please, please allow yourself this one indulgence and use full fat mozzarella (25% M.F +)! To take it one step further and you’re really wanting to treat yourself – use Buffalo Mozzarella! I’m using regular ‘balled’ mozzarella in this recipe but if you want to splurge and use Buffalo Mozzarella I say GO FOR IT!

Tip #3 – ‘Oven ready’ Lasagna pasta is NOT needed….EVER! It costs more money than regular dried Lasagna pasta and this is one of the biggest food marketing scams out there! The moisture of the sauce etc that are built into your Lasagna is more than sufficient to cook the pasta while it bakes in the oven. Trust me!

Tip #4 – This is Lasagna! Don’t worry about each layer looking perfect or having everything just so. Presentation is always key to cooking but when it comes to Lasagna it’s ok to be a bit sloppy and UN-perfect. Have fun with it.

Let’s get started!

Ingredients

Tools needed

Ingredients:

·        1x full recipe of ‘The Sauce’ (previously posted as Part 1 of ‘Best Lasagna’)

·        2x375g boxes of dried Lasagna pasta (amount you need depends on how many layers you make and the size of your pan *I’m using a 13.5 x 10” ceramic baking dish and 1 box is usually enough). If yours is larger you might need anywhere from 1- 1 ½ + boxes so it’s better to have more on hand if needed

·        1x large zucchini cut into 1/8” long strips (preferably cut top to bottom – not circles)

·        150gr (+/-) your favourite ham slices from your deli that you would normally use for sandwiches

·        750gr Cottage Cheese (low fat is ok for this part!!)

·        6x hard boiled eggs - sliced

·        Approx 340gr of Mozzarella cheese grated or sliced depending on what you have bought (Balled mozzarella can be difficult to grate so slicing is fine).

Method:

·        Preheat oven to 375degrees

·        For the hard boiled eggs – I’m not trying to insult your intelligence by adding this step but did you ever wonder why your hard boiled eggs have grey edges around the yolks or why the yolk is often leaning to one side vs being centered? Well wonder no more! Follow this easy tip and you’ll never have that happen again!

·        Place eggs in a pot and add just enough COLD water so that they are submerged. Put the lid on and bring to a boil.

·        Keeping the lid on, let boil for 30sec and then turn the heat OFF

·        Wait 12-14min

·        Run cold water over the eggs until they are cool enough to touch

·        Crack, peel and slice with an egg slicer

Perfectly cooked yellow yolks that are perfectly centered to boot….. cool huh?

Now that’s out the way – let’s continue!

-        Set the sliced hard boiled eggs aside until needed

-        Ladle a layer (approx. ½”) of sauce on the bottom of your Lasagna pan and spread evenly edge to edge *** please use a ceramic, stainless steel or even a disposalable aluminum baking pan that has a 2 1/2" side minimum (see picture above of tools needed). Glass (or Pyrex) is too shallow and glass absorbs heat differently than ceramic, stainless steel or aluminum. Glass or Pyrex  is often just not deep enough for Lasagna!! Lasagna is a DEEP DISH type of recipe with lots of layers so even if your pan is square or smaller than what I'm using here that's ok.... Just don't compromise on the DEPTH of your pan. 

-        Place 1st layer of dried pasta to cover making sure you reach all edges. Break the pasta as needed to fit.

-        Ladle another layer of sauce on top of the pasta and spread evenly.

-        Place an even layer of zucchini on top of sauce

-        Place 2^nd layer of dried pasta

-        Spoon an even layer of Cottage Cheese on top of pasta (approx ½”)

-        Place an even layer of sliced ham on top of Cottage Cheese

-        Place an even layer of sliced hard boiled eggs on top of ham 

-        Place 3^rd layer of dried pasta

-        Ladle another layer of sauce on top of the pasta and spread evenly edge to edge

-        Repeat layers as desired ending with a final layer of dried pasta

-        Once layers are complete – top with a final layer of sauce

-        Sprinkle grated/sliced mozzarella cheese on top as desired (how cheesy are you??)

-        Bake on middle rack of oven uncovered for approx 60-70min (check every 20min and cover with aluminum foil if the top of your Lasagna is looking too brown)

-        Remove and let stand for 15min before portioning

-        Serve and enjoy!!!

Serves approx. 8-10 people

Serving side suggestions

-        Homemade Caesar Salad (post coming soon!)