Lasagna is like a sandwich: you'll be able to put something between the layers and it's still lasagna. In America, that tends to mean a supersize stack of tomato sauce, cheese, vegetables, what-have-you--with calorie counts and fat grams to match. (One top-rated online recipe has a staggering 1061 calories and 39 fat grams per serving!)
In Italy, however, lasagna is sort of restrained by comparison, yet still delicious. A springtime lasagna may well be delicately flavored with young artichokes, while in autumn, you will find layers of pasta mingling with woodsy contemporary porcini and winter squash.
Considering that it is solely another shape of basic pasta; it is suited to infinity of seasonings. other than the beef lasagna, you'll realize vegetarian recipes with white pasta sauce (with no tomato), with pesto, artichokes and therefore on.
Many years ago, Italian housewives used to have their best lasagna recipes for the dough and used to create it at home. nowadays they obtain it and personally prepare solely its sauce.
RECIPE
Ingredients
8 oz. Italian Prosciutto, chopped
8 oz. Lasagna pasta noodles, cooked
16 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 cup Ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb. Mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. lean ground beef
4 tbs. fresh basil, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
1/4 tsp. oregano
ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tbs. olive oil
fresh basil sprigs for garnish.
How To Make:
1) Cook pasta according to package directions or until tender but still firm. Drain, keep warm.
2) To make the sauce, in a large saucepan or cast iron skillet, over medium high high heat, saute the garlic, onion and prosciutto in the olive oil for 4 minutes. Add the lean beef, oregano, a touch of black pepper and saute 10 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the wine is almost evaporated. Add tomatoes and basil, reduce heat and simmer sauce 35 to 40 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
3) Grease a 9" x 12" or larger, baking pan. Arrange a first layer of pasta, a layer of the beef and prosciutto tomato sauce, Ricotta cheese, parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Add a second alternating layer of pasta, sauce and other ingredients. Repeat until pan is full ending up with a top layer of sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil.
*from variety sources