BAKED LASAGNA WITH MEAT SAUCE LASAGNE DI MAGRO (MEATLESS LASAGNA) ROASTED VEGETABLE LASAGNA WITH FONTINA The three lasagna recipes that follow were published in the Washington Post Food section within the last two or three years (I'm not sure of the exact date) in connection with an article on true Italian lasagna. BAKED LASAGNA WITH MEAT SAUCE (6 servings) This lasagna takes some time and effort, but it's worth it. The meat sauce alone is sublime. It's the classic Italian sauce known as Bolognese. Give it a try over other kinds of pasta. The method for making the bechamel sauce is a tad unorthodox, but cookbook author Marcella Hazan swears it is the only way to guarantee smoothness. For the meat sauce: 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons chopped onion 2 tablespoons chopped celery 2 tablespoons chopped carrot 3/4 pound lean ground beef 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste 1 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup milk 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 2 cups canned Italian tomatoes, coarsely chopped, with their juice For the bechamel sauce: 3 cups milk 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt To assemble: About 10 ounces fresh spinach lasagna noodles (may substitute the thinnest dried lasagna noodles you can find) 2/3 cup (about 3 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces For the meat sauce: In a heavy, deep pot (rather than a shallow wide pot in which the sauce would reduce too quickly) over medium heat, heat the oil and butter. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the beef and salt and cook, crumbling the beef with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer red but has not browned. Add the wine, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine has evaporated completely. Add the milk and nutmeg to the beef, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the milk has evaporated completely. Stir in the tomatoes and their juice and cook until the mixture begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to medium-low or low and cook at a bare simmer (just an occasional bubble), uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced to about 2 1/4 cups. This will take at least 3 hours, but the sauce is best when simmered for 5 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Set aside. For the bechamel sauce: In a small pan over medium heat, heat the milk until a skin forms. Meanwhile, in a heavy 4- to 6-quart saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Blend in the flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 2 minutes. The mixture will bubble but do not let the flour color. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stirring constantly, add the hot milk to the flour-butter mixture 2 tablespoons at a time. As soon as the first 2 tablespoons are completely absorbed, stir in another 2 tablespoons, stirring constantly. Repeat 2 more times, then add the remaining milk in the same manner, but using 1/4 cup at a time. (Never add more than 1/4 cup at a time.) When all of the milk has been incorporated, return the pan to the stove over low heat. Stir in the salt and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened almost to the consistency of sour cream. (You should have about 2 cups.) To assemble, adjust the oven rack to the uppermost position and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Have a 14-inch lasagna pan ready. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook just until tender. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water. Place the noodles flat on a clean towel and top with another towel to remove any excess moisture. Using a ladle, skim a small portion of the meat sauce from the top of the pot where there is more fat and spread it over the bottom of the lasagna pan. Make a single layer of pasta in the pan, overlapping the strips, if necessary, by no more than 1/4 inch. Cut to fit. (Do not prop the edges of the pasta along the sides of the pan as the pasta will become dry and tough during baking.) Spread a thin layer of meat sauce over the noodles, being careful to spread the meat evenly over the noodles. Spread about 1/3 cup of the bechamel sauce over the meat sauce. Sprinkle lightly with some of the Parmesan cheese. Add another layer of noodles, using any ripped noodles to fill in any gaps, and repeat the layering process with the remaining ingredients, ending with a layer of Parmesan cheese and making sure to leave at least 1/2 inch from the top of the pan. Dot the top layer with the butter. Bake the lasagna in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the top is golden and forms a crust. (If you are using fresh pasta and a 14-inch lasagna pan, you should need no more than 15 minutes; dried pasta and a smaller, deeper pan will take longer.) Set the pan aside to cool slightly for about 5 minutes. Cut the lasagna into rectangles and serve. Per serving (based on 6): 830 calories, 35 gm protein, 51 gm carbohydrates, 51 gm fat, 138 mg cholesterol, 26 gm saturated fat, 1,254 mg sodium, 2 gm dietary fiber LASAGNE DI MAGRO (MEATLESS LASAGNA) (6 servings) This lasagna is the closest to the one most Americans are familiar with. In this lasagna, the traditional cream sauce is replaced by ricotta and mozzarella cheeses and a meatless tomato sauce replaces the meat ragout. For this lasagna to turn out well, it is essential to make the sauce from scratch. You will have a generous amount of sauce; serve the remainder alongside the lasagna or refrigerate it for tossing with pasta at another meal. >From "Savoring Italy" by Michele Sciolone (Time-Life, $40). For the sauce: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 yellow onion, finely chopped Two 28-ounce cans plum (Roma) tomatoes, seeded and chopped, with their juice or 5 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 6 to 8 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces About 10 ounces fresh or dried lasagna noodles For the filling: 1 egg 3 cups ricotta cheese 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 cup (about 4 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus additional for optional garnish About 10 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced For the sauce: In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter into the oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice and salt to taste and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 45 minutes. Stir in the pepper and basil to taste; remove from the heat. Set aside to cool to room temperature. (You should have about 7 cups.) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook just until tender. (Fresh noodles will take about 1 minute; dried noodles will take 7 to 8 minutes.) Drain about 2/3 of the cooking water, leaving the pasta and the remaining 1/3 of the water in the pot. Add enough cold water to fill the pot; set aside. For the filling: In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg. Stir in the ricotta cheese, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. To assemble, spread about 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a 9-by-12-by-2-inch baking dish. Remove the noodles from the pot, place them flat on a clean towel and top with another towel to remove any excess moisture. Make a single layer of pasta in the pan, overlapping the strips, if necessary, by no more than 1/4 inch. Cut to fit. (Do not prop the edges of the pasta along the sides of the pan as the pasta will become dry and tough during baking.) Spread about 1 cup of the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Top with 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese. Continue this layering process--sauce, pasta, ricotta and Parmigiano-Reggiano, ending with a layer of mozzarella cheese. You will have extra tomato sauce. (You may cover and refrigerate the lasagna for several hours or overnight before baking.) Bake the lasagna in the preheated oven until the sauce is bubbling, the top is browned and the center is heated through, 30 to 40 minutes. (If the lasagna is baked straight from the refrigerator, it will need to bake about 10 minutes longer.) Set the lasagna aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, reheat the remaining sauce until warmed through. Cut the lasagna into rectangles and transfer to individual serving plates. Spoon some of the remaining sauce over the top and, if desired, sprinkle with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Per serving: 735 calories, 43 gm protein, 55 gm carbohydrates, 39 gm fat, 153 mg cholesterol, 22 gm saturated fat, 1,218 mg sodium, 4 gm dietary fiber ROASTED VEGETABLE LASAGNA WITH FONTINA (6 servings) This recipe is adapted from "Pasta Improvvisata" by Erica De Mane (Scribner, $27.50). De Mane devised this recipe using roasted asparagus, but if none is available, you may substitute any of the following: sliced eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, leeks, tomatoes, artichoke hearts or butternut squash. Simply roast the vegetables as you would the asparagus and proceed to layer it with the noodles, creamy Parmesan sauce and fontina cheese. About 2 pounds medium- or thick-stemmed asparagus, ends trimmed, stalks peeled and cut in half (or equivalent amount of another vegetable, see above) 2 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for the baking dish Juice and zest of 1 lemon Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Fresh savory to taste (optional) About 10 ounces fresh or dried egg pasta lasagna noodles 2 cups heavy (whipping) cream 1 cup (about 4 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese Nutmeg to taste 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives 10 ounces fontina cheese, thinly sliced or grated Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spread the asparagus and onions on 2 baking sheets, making certain that the vegetables do not touch. Dot the vegetables with the butter and drizzle with the oil and lemon juice. Scatter the lemon zest over the top, season with salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat. Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven until soft and just beginning to turn brown, about 20 minutes. (The asparagus will be fork-tender.) If desired, sprinkle the vegetables with the savory; set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook just until tender. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cream and Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts. (The sauce will retain a slight graininess because of the texture of the cheese.) Season with nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste; stir in the chives. Set aside. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water. Place the noodles flat on a clean towel and top with another towel to remove any excess moisture. To assemble, lightly oil a 12-by-10-by-2-inch baking dish. Make a single layer of pasta in the pan, overlapping the strips, if necessary, by no more than 1/4 inch. Cut to fit. (Do not prop the edges of the pasta along the sides of the pan as the pasta will become dry and tough during baking.) Sprinkle with 1/3 of the asparagus and onions, salt and pepper to taste and 1/3 of the fontina cheese. Top with a layer of pasta, another 1/3 of the asparagus and onions, salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 of the Parmesan cream and another 1/3 of fontina cheese. Top with another layer of pasta, the remaining asparagus and onions, salt and pepper to taste, the remaining fontina cheese and the remaining pasta. Pour the remaining Parmesan cream over the top of the noodles. (The cream will run down the sides of the layers). Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Set the pan aside to cool slightly for about 5 minutes. Cut the lasagna into rectangles and serve. Per serving (based on 6): 800 calories, 30 gm protein, 45 gm carbohydrates, 56 gm fat, 185 mg cholesterol, 33 gm saturated fat, 775 mg sodium, 3 gm dietary fiber -- ~~Rec.food.recipes is moderated; only recipes and recipe requests are accepted for posting. Please read the FAQ posted each week. Please send recipes, requests, questions or comments to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please allow several days for your submission to appear.
