Lasagna

Lasagna will always and forever feel like a treat to me.

The hot gooey cheese pull, layers of tangy sauce and comfort that comes from the noodles is pure gold. When someone puts in the effort to make lasagna, it feels extra special and cozy.

It is a dish that is easy to create, leftovers last for days, and are easily frozen. These factors make it a fan favorite for inexperienced cooks, or those with years of experience at the stove.

I recall growing up watching my Mom boil the noodles first, make the sauce, grate the cheese. It sure seemed like a long arduous process at that time. Somewhere along the way, I learned that noodles don’t need to be cooked before building the lasagna. I keep sauce in the freezer,  or use a can of chopped tomatoes and add a simple combination of olive oil, fresh herbs, salt and pepper instead of a fully developed sauce.

The cheese was always grated by hand. And although I find a deep appreciation for this method, I now prefer hand torn fresh mozzarella and whatever cheese I have hanging around the fridge that needs to go. There is something special about the variety of an unexpected cheese blend.

The presence of protein could be a day’s long conversation.  Animal proteins such as ground turkey, beef or pork are classic additions. While layers of prosciutto, coppa, or other flavorful Italian salumi are lovely additions. Lasagna almost begs us to be creative with plant based proteins in the form of beans, nut based cheeses, tofu, tempeh or seitan. It is almost too easy to navigate any dietary restrictions of a dinner guest by building a lasagna for dinner.

Layers of dark leafy greens or thinly sliced vegetables are clutch for a gorgeous seasonal lasagna.

At the end of the day, we can all agree on simple proof that lasagna is approachable, versatile, and a staple in meal rotation.

Although I will never turn any form of lasagna away, my favorite remains the classic lasagna. We’ll share the recipe below.

Let’s hear what Stephanie has to say about this classic dish.

Hailing from the Midwest, lasagna has always been a comfort dish for me. It fits well within most any dietary goal, with the ability to easily customize the ingredients.  The classic recipe is ideal for an endurance athlete with a good mix of C/P/F, without even having to think about these ratios. I’m a big fan of using a high quality protein in this dish- such as ground beef, elk, venison, turkey, etc.,to really amplify the protein  source. For plant based, it’s important to consider the protein source, because otherwise it’s mostly a carbohydrate dish with a little fat and not nearly as satiating.

Aside from protein, you can really amp up the nutritional density with vegetables included. Mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, and greens all add to this dish. Make sure to sauté them in a little olive oil or butter first, to bring out the flavor and some of the nutritional quality. Another twist is to use a starch-based vegetable, such as butternut squash or pumpkin and leave out the tomato sauce. You can add a bit more ricotta cheese and change the protein to chicken or lighter protein. It’s a nice way to change it up but keep the theme of the dish.

Lastly, cheese matters. Don’t skimp here. It affects both the taste and the quality. I like to use a good ricotta or cottage cheese for the inside and a flavorful parmesan or gruyere on top. But you can tailor this to your preference. As most of our recipes, the skiy’s the limit.

I really like lasagna for the ease of make once, eat multiple times and/or freeze for later use. It’s also simple in its ingredients list, and you can easily customize the recipe.

Lasagna

Preheat oven to 400F/any pan will work, but we’ll use an 8×10 for this recipe

Ingredients

• 9 oz lasagna noodles (any will work, but we like the thin flat pasta sheets for even cooking)
• 3 cups tomato sauce, Bolognese, or your choice of red sauce
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 lemon zested
• ¼ cup fresh parsley
• ¼ cup fresh basil thinly sliced
• ¼ tsp red pepper flake
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ cup olive oil
• 3 cups grated cheese

Steps

1. Add ricotta, eggs, lemon zest, fresh herbs, red pepper flake, salt, and ¼ cup of olive oil in bowl. Mix well and fold in 1 cup grated cheese of your choice. Set aside.
2. Add remaining olive oil to the bottom of the lasagna pan. Spread evenly so that the oil covers the bottom of the pan.
3. Add the first later of noodles. Feel free to break the noodles into smaller pieces if needed to fully cover the bottom of the pan.
4. Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce evenly on top of the noodles. Be sure to cover the noodles.
5. Sprinkle with ½ cup of cheese.
6. Add another layer of noodles and gently press the noodles down onto the layer below it.
7. Add 1 cup of the ricotta mixture and spread evenly.
8. Repeat these steps until you have used all of the sauce, grated cheese, and ricotta mixture.

You may find that you have a few random unused noodles. If so, wrap them tightly and keep in your pantry until needed again.

Bake the lasagna at 400F for 45 minutes to an hour. The top will be golden brown and bubbly.

If it gets too dark too soon, cover with a piece of foil until the lasagna is baked through.

Serve and enjoy!

Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to four days, or freeze for up to 1 month.