Making lasagna this weekend, looking for cooking tips...

[loopkiller 10+ year member]

OK, so I love to cook and I am going to attempt my first homemade lasagna this weekend. I don't like the prepackaged crap and I figure I can make a big lasagna at home cheaper than a real restaurant charges, plus I can freeze the leftovers.

Now I am decent at cooking and have a good idea where I am going to go with this dish, but I was wondering if there are any guys here that also love to cook who have been down this road before and can give me some tips.

Here are some of the key ingredients I was think of:

Portabello mushrooms

Chopped spinach

Sweet sausage

Ricotta cheese

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

I am aiming for a full flavor traditional lasagna. I have seen some exotic recipes that do not look like my thing. I prefer chunky fresh tomato based sauces over the pasty and oily sauces you buy off the shelf.

And just in case you are unsure, I shit you not, this is not a trolling post. This is my weekend project for real.

Click to read more...

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

I like some garlic baked in

 

[DEdwards 10+ year member]

I have used this meat sauce recipe and it was killer!! I have not used it in Lasagna before though...but I bet it would be good.

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
  
• 3 (15 ounce) cans seasoned tomato sauce
  
• 3 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
  
• 6 cups water
  
• 8 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
  
• 2 pounds sweet Italian sausage
  
• 2 pounds ground sirloin
  
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
  
• 1 cup grated Romano cheese
  
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1 pound pork meat, cubed
  
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
  
• 3 tablespoons garlic powder
  
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  
• 2 eggs

DIRECTIONS

1. In large pot heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over low heat. Add chopped onion and two-thirds of sliced garlic. Saute 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water and tomato paste. Simmer.
   
2. Meanwhile, in large skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Saute remaining garlic 1 to 2 minutes. Add sausage and brown, about three minutes on each side. After browning, cover and reduce heat. Cook for 10 minutes, remove from heat, and cut sausages into halves. Add to tomato mixture.
   
3. Cook pork over medium heat in sausage skillet until brown. Add to tomato mixture. Add 3 tablespoons parsley, Romano, oregano, salt and pepper to tomato sauce. Continue to simmer over low heat.
   
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. In large bowl combine ground sirloin, bread crumbs, garlic powder, remaining parsley, parmesan and eggs. Form 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet. Cook until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Add meatballs to sauce. Continue to cook sauce for 5 hours. Serve over fusilli or ravioli.

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

fresh sauce > can sauce

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

fresh sauce > can sauce

as long as it gets plenty of simmer time:fyi:

overnight simmer for a sauce is great:yumyum:

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

as long as it gets plenty of simmer time:fyi:
overnight simmer for a sauce is great:yumyum:

as in on the stove, in the on position all night?

is you is crazy?

 

[delvryboy 5,000+ posts]

Don't cook the pasta first.

 

[nismos14 5,000+ posts]

Season the sauce well, yourself. Just use tomato sauce from a can and put in basil, oregano, parm cheese, garlic and onion powder and pepper. Also throwing some veggies into the sauce is never bad.

 

[loopkiller 10+ year member]

I like some garlic baked in

Garlic is essential IMO. It is such a basic necessity, that I did not even list it. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

fresh sauce > can sauce

as long as it gets plenty of simmer time:fyi:
overnight simmer for a sauce is great:yumyum:

I agree guys. Have you made sauce from scratch before? Tomatoes are not in season right now, so I guess I will have to start with canned tomatoes. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

 

[loopkiller 10+ year member]

Don't cook the pasta first.

Is that only for the no-cook style of pasta, or is that for the regular type as well?

I was told to boil the noodles half way to al dente and then rinse with cold water.

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

as in on the stove, in the on position all night?
is you is crazy?

yep....simmer all night.

the flavors really come out after some time.

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

Is that only for the no-cook style of pasta, or is that for the regular type as well?
I was told to boil the noodles half way to al dente and then rinse with cold water.

tis what I have done ITP

 

[loopkiller 10+ year member]

yep....simmer all night.
the flavors really come out after some time.

I agree. I plan on starting first thing Sat morning and eating Sat night, or Sun lunch.

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

yep....simmer all night.
the flavors really come out after some time.

you go to sleep with it on the stove?

just got a 3rd degree burn + skin graft on my hand from leaving shit "on" on the stove

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

I agree guys. Have you made sauce from scratch before? Tomatoes are not in season right now, so I guess I will have to start with canned tomatoes. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

There is a tomato paste in a can that is not bad at all.