Lasagna

By exdircomp

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 (16-ounce) boxes lasagna noodles DeCecco Brand
• Olive oil
• 1 1/2 pound ground chuck
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed, divided
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• (12-ounce) cremini and shitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced
• 1 fennel bulb, cut thin on mandoline
• 1 roasted red pepper thinly sliced
• 1 package frozen spinach, kale thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 cups ricotta
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided
• 2 cups asiago cheese
• 1 pound grated mozzarella
• 6 to 7 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
• fresh parsley
• fresh thyme
• 2 jars homemade Marinara Sauce

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Working batches, cook the lasagna noodles until they are soft and pliable but not limp, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pasta from the boiling water and lay flat on a sheet tray to cool. Reserve.

Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Add the chuck and cook until brown and crumbly. Remove from pan and reserve on paper towels.

Ditch the fat from the pan and add new olive oil along with 2 cloves of garlic and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Bring the pan to medium-high heat. When the garlic becomes golden and very aromatic, remove it from the heat and place on side. Toss in the mushrooms and season them with salt. Cook the mushrooms until they are soft and wilted and dark brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from pan and reserve.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup the Parmigiano-Reggiano, the eggs, and the basil. Mix to combine well and season with salt.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch deep-dish baking dish, add a couple ladlefuls of sauce and spread out in an even layer. Arrange a layer of the lasagna noodles to completely cover the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the pasta. Place a layer of chuck and layer of mushrooms. Place a layer of pasta going in the other direction as the first layer (this will give a little more stability). Spread a light layer of sauce on the pasta and sprinkle spinach/kale and red peppers over. Sprinkle a layer of mozzarella and some of the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano over the veggies. Repeat the layer of ground chuck replacing the mushrooms with fennel Be sure that there is a layer of pasta on top covered with sauce and sprinkled with mozzarella and cheeses. Cover with foil.

Place the lasagna on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until the lasagna is hot and bubbly, about 1 hour 15 minutes, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing. Reserve 1/3 of sauce and chuck. combine and serve over individual slices of lasagna.