Dinner Party Lasagna

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I have been making lasagna for decades because it’s literally one of my favorite things to eat. I have tried a million and one recipes and I have made it from scratch right out of my head, too, over the years. But now, nine times out of ten, I don’t consult a recipe because I’ve made mine so many times, well, I just know how to do it from memory.

But recently, I decided to write down what works best for me, so I can share it if someone asks. (No one has asked, per se, but no one has ever yelled, “yuck phooey!” after eating mine, either. So there.)

Anyway, when I’m having company, the first thing I think of to make for dinner is a huge lasagna no matter what time of year it is. I don’t do it every time, but I do serve it enough that my friends and family have started to expect it on the first night they come to stay with us. 

I generally assemble the lasagna the morning or evening before, refrigerate it, then bake it right before dinner, adding 10- to 15-minutes to the cooking time because everything is colder than when you assemble it and pop it right into the oven. Trust me, doing it ahead of time makes entertaining so much easier…and you’ll have a cleaner kitchen to show off.

When we sit down to eat, I always serve either a fresh tossed salad or a Caesar salad, along with some piping hot, crusty bread with European butter.

It’s a winner every time. 

DINNER PARTY LASAGNA

Servings: 8 – 10 Prep: 30 minutes / Cook: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Sweet Italian Sausage
• 1 pound Lean Ground Beef
• ½ cup White or Yellow Onion, chopped
• 4 Cloves Garlic, minced
• About 28 ounces Crushed Tomatoes (one 28 ounce can or two 15 ounce cans)
• About 13 ounces Tomato Sauce (two 6.5 ounce cans or one 15 ounce can)
• 6 ounces Tomato Paste (one 6 ounce can)
• ½ cup Water
• 2 tablespoons White Sugar
• Parsley
• Basil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Italian Seasoning
• 16 ounces Ricotta Cheese
• 16 ounces Cottage Cheese*
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 1 pound Mozzarella Cheese Slices -or- Shredded Mozzarella
• ¾ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 box of Lasagna Noodles (about 12)**
• Cooking spray

* If you don’t love the consistency of cottage cheese (but trust me, it’s yummy in this dish), then double the ricotta.

** The kind you boil before assembly. I am not a snob, but I am just not a fan of the no-boil lasagna noodles because I don’t like the consistency. I have not tested this recipe with no-boil noodles. I use the whole box.

Steps:

1. Brown sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic in a large Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat.
2. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water.
3. Season with sugar, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning as you see fit. I never measure because it’s not a cake. Taste it and you’ll know.
4. Cover and simmer the sauce for an hour or so (while you have a glass of wine and call a friend), stirring occasionally.
5. Take sauce off the heat and uncover the pot so it cools slightly.
6. Preheat oven to 375º F (190º C).
7. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. When done, drain, then use tongs to lay noodles out on a parchment paper covered -or- cooking sprayed cookie sheet to cool. (If you leave them in the colander or in the hot pot, they will stick together.)
8. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, and beaten eggs and mix well. I usually add salt, pepper, and parsley to the mixture.
9. Spray your lasagna pan (I use a 9”x13” or larger glass or ceramic dish) with cooking spray. Spread about 1 ½ cups of the meat sauce to the bottom of the pan. Arrange noodles over the sauce, slightly overlapping, to cover. I cut some for the ends. Then, spread ½ of the cheese mixture over the noodles. Top that with 1/3 of the mozzarella. Add another layer of meat sauce. Then repeat, topping it off with mozzarella cheese.
10. Cover tightly with foil (I lightly spray foil with cooking spray even if it’s the non-stick kind) then bake for 30 minutes. (I always place my lasagna pan on a cookie sheet in case it overflows.)
11. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
12. Let cool about 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Note:

• Since there is usually just two of us for dinner, I still make the full recipe, then after the leftovers cool completely, I slice up the lasagna in to individual portions and vacuum seal, then freeze (for up to 6 months). When you want to eat them, place unwrapped slices in a prepared glass baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for one hour at 400º F (204º C). Tastes like fresh made every time! 

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