Lasagne de Familia

By Cookie67

Ingredients

• 1 TB. olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 TB. minced fresh garlic
• 11/2 lbs. lean ground beef (Dave uses ground sirloin)
• 1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 TB. ITALIAN HERB MIX, TUSCAN SUNSET or PASTA SPRINKLE
• 2 TB. fresh basil, chopped
• 1 9-oz. bag baby spinach
• 1 Cup grated Parmesan cheese (Dave uses Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• 1 lb. ricotta cheese
• 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 lb. sliced pepperoni (Dave prefers Molinari)
• 3 24-oz. jars pizza sauce (or 72 oz. of tomato sauce plus 4 TB. PIZZA SEASONING)
• 1 lb. shredded Italian blend cheese
• 1 16-oz. box lasagna noodles

Details

Preparation time 60mins
Cooking time 60mins

Preparation

Step 1

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. When hot, add the onions and sauté until tender. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ground beef, sweet Italian sausage, and hot Italian sausage and brown the meat well. Add the Italian seasoning and fresh basil and sauté until the basil is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the baby spinach and stir to incorporate about 1 minute. The spinach will wilt quickly from the heat of the meat. Don't overcook. Add the meat mixture to a food processor or blender and pulse briefly to even out the texture of the meat. Set aside.

Add the Parmesan, ricotta and mascarpone cheeses to the (cleaned) food processor or blender and process until smooth and well-mixed.

Cook the lasagna noodles per package instructions until al dente. Strain in a colander, and rinse well with cold water to stop the cooking process. Toss with a bit of olive oil and spread out to prevent sticking.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a really large casserole dish with non-stick spray (an extra-deep 9x13 pan would work).

Layer the casserole dish with noodles. We used 4 noodles per layer. This list looks daunting but it is simple to follow!
Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture over the noodles.
Layer 1/2 of the pepperoni on top of the cheese mixture.
Spread an even layer of sauce on top of the pepperoni.
Add another layer of noodles.
Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture on top of the noodles.
Sprinkle some of the shredded Italian blend cheese over the meat mixture.
Spread an even layer of sauce over the cheese.
Add another layer of noodles.
Spread the remaining cheese mixture on top of the noodles.
Layer the remaining pepperoni on top of the Parmesan, ricotta, mascarpone mixture.
Spread an even layer of sauce on top of the pepperoni.
Add another layer of noodles.
Spread the remaining meat mixture on top of the noodles.
Sprinkle some of the shredded Italian blend cheese over the meat mixture.
Spread an even layer of sauce over the cheese.
Add another layer of noodles.
Spread an even layer of sauce over the noodles.
Top generously with shredded Italian blend cheese.
Bake at 350° until the cheese on top is well browned and the sides are bubbling, 40-60 minutes.

Prep. time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 30-60 minutes
Serves: 18