Țhis one?

Dom DeLuise - Lasagna

Yes!

I did add some eggs to the ricotta cheese.

I've been making lasagna using incooked noodles probably since the 1980s. My pan also has rounded corners¡ I just snap off the dried lasagna noodles to fit. If there's a gap, I just fill it in with scraps, it all melds together after cooking….and I'm lazy.

Thanks, Sherry! (and Chloebud) I don't use a recipe for lasagna, but I've save it because it's so basic. I don't know if I'd be able to do that off the top of my head,

So, my very favorite lasagna pasta of all time, is pan sized sheets of fresh from the Italian deli. I just can't be bothered driving half an hour for it, and rarely am going that direction anymore. In general, fresh is easiest for the corners as well, but I will use dry. Home made fresh is best after a few days so it's a bit drier and better able to absorb flavor. I'm not good at it though, so it's a jigsaw puzzle. Tastes good, though...

Looks like MY 3 Cheese Lasagna...but..no spinach....smile...

I bake around two dozen lasagnas a year, always with precooked, but not fully cooked, noodles. And as far as the sauce goes...if you don't want to have lots of meat in your lasagna, start the sauce two or three days earlier. Let the meat cook down to where it dissolves in the sauce.

Regarding the lasagna noodles, I sometimes just dip them in hot water to make them pliable.

It would not be basic if you grew up where I did. Meat and three yes, Italian, Mexican, or anything else, no.

You took a piece of a cow, chicken , or pig and fried, stewed, or roasted it. Then added three vegetables plus a bread. The seasoning wss salt and pepper and fatback. No wonder I adored Thanksgiving when we had oyster dressing with onions and sage!

When I was 16 we ate at the weird restaurant that had something called ”pizza”.

Oh and my grandmother made gumbo with onions and shrimp and crab!

By "basic", I meant five ingredients. There are five cheeses in my lasagna, a few meats, many vegetables, etc. I takes a whole day, assuming you've made the 5-hour cooking sauce ahead of time. Getting it right with a few ingredients is much harder.

When we first moved to the country town where I now live, I was invited to a fundraising luncheon. They were raising money to build a nursing home so that elderly people needing care did not have to go to the city away from their family and friends. This was nearly 40 years ago.

One of the ladies I met there was telling everyone about a recent holiday she and her farmer husband had been on, to a small city down on the south coast. There she tried (and enjoyed) a dish she had never had before. I was gobsmacked (but too polite to say anything) when I realised she was talking about lasagne (which I ate so much of when it was trendy in the 70s I'm still not wild about it).

Some 25 years later when she asked me to cater her 70th birthday lunch, she wanted lasagne, with meat and vegetarian options, as some of her younger relatives were vegetarian. The vegetarian version (which she had thought the meat eaters in the crowd would not care for) was so popular I was asked for the recipe, which I was happy to share.

I have never made a lasagna! Maybe I will try one. If one were striving to eat fewer carbs, what might be a veggie substitute for the pasta sheets?

Zucchini planks are often used, pre-pan-fried with some flour, for vegetarian. not a big carb saver, and too wet otherwise. I'd suggest, instead, roll or buy your pasta very thin, and put thicker layers of filling between.

It would be a veggie casserole, but not lasagna. Lasagna IS the noodles.

We are having Seafood Lasagna today. No tomato sauce in sight. Noodles, white sauce, etc.

Dom DeLuise was a fave - he was so funny! I don't think I knew he had a cookbook.

FWIW, I like to make a 'quick and easy' lasagna recipe I found @ BettyCrocker.com. It's no-boil and always comes out great. As long as you make sure the noodles are completely covered, they come out nice and tender. The amount is about half of the regular ones, made in a 9"x9" pan, and it's perfect for 4 or fewer people. I don't care for leftover lasagna that much anyway, as it tends to get too dried out. I always add some water to the sauce, since the noodles will absorb it.

https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/quick-lasagna/47610f23-7269-4847-9c06-b6b6bce59cee

It's highly adaptable - I've changed some of the ingredients: ricotta mixed with egg and a pinch of nutmeg instead of cottage cheese, and a larger amount of homemade sauce with lots of fresh basil, mushrooms, onions and peppers. Sometimes I add some spinach and I've increased the mozzarella too. I've also seasoned the meat with fresh herbs, and you can use sausage or even leave the meat out entirely.

Mine ended up tender, they just slid around in the pan as I was making it. I will precook from now on.

Cannot use spinach. I like, but hubby will not touch anything green especially spinach.

The Dom Delouise is it! I bought his cookbook, ”Eat This, It will Make You Feel Better”

I bought this cookbook the better part of two decades ago. Learned how to do no-boil method with regular (not "no boil" noodles) from Dom -- have done it this way ever since, is uber-fast to get the lasagna assebmled, no reason to deal with a bunch of wet noodles, and the texture comes out perfect every time.

The eggplant meatballs recipe in this cookbook is excellent. It's no secret I don't like eggplant, it's the mushy slimy texture that's the turnoff, but by the time it's doctored up with cheese and breadcrumbs within an inch of its life and no longer resembles eggplant as per this recipe it's pretty good. LOL!

ETA: I don't use Dom's lasagna recipe; its his method that's proven invaluable to me.

DH has made our pasta going on 55 yrs now with the Atlas machine we bought at the Italian grocery near our apt in the French Quarter in 1971.

I read about ” 100” layer lasagna so that is what we make. Paper thin layers of pasta with thin layers of filling between. Its so good and very different in texture than the usual. You can use purchased dough sheets and just roll them thinner if you want to try it.

https://www.google.com/search?q=100+layer+lasagna&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS1149US1149&oq=100+layer&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

The cooking was fine. My lasagna pan has curved corners and using the stiff noodles was a pain. I will cook them first from now on.

Will try the eggplant next!

I found the recipe for my lasagna in 1977 while waiting for a fitting for my wedding gown. It was in a cookbook that belonged to the seamstress. The filling consists of ricotta, eggs, sauteed mushrooms, Parmesan, spinach, pinch of nutmeg, s&p. It sounded good to me then…and still is!

Oooh! I like the term 100 layer. I first had it at a fresh off the boat Italian place in London. I've been served it that way a few more times. It's definitely lasagna pasta, but people don't always believe me that it's a thing. Now I have a name! Thanks!

Sherry, you can just break off the corners and use them as patches elsewhere.

FWIW, I don't boil, but for stiff, dry, boxed, I'll put them in a pie plate with warm water. They hydrate a bit (or go to mush if you let them!) and get just a little pliable.

I seldom make lasagna, but when I do I usually make homemade pasta thanks to a suggestion from Lars. I like the addition of Italian sausage, too. My favorite is Joey's Killer Lasagna, posted here a long, long, long time ago. It gets resurrected occasionally, like now, LOL. I do not eat veal due to the way it is raised and treated, so I sub ground pork or sometimes ground venison for the veal. Pork is closer, as it is milder, but a couple of family members like the venison version a lot.

Flashback - Joey's Killer Lasagna

Annie

@porkchop_z5b_MI, I make eggplant "meatballs" from time to time but I substitute zucchini for the eggplant as the only way I like eggplant is as Baba Ganoush. The first time I made them, DH came into the kitchen and asked what I was making. When I told him, he made a "yuck" face. I told him to try one before he knocked them. After he did, I found him sneaking one off the plate I was putting the cooked ones onto every time he thought my back was turned :-D

I try to make lasagne at least a day ahead. That gives the sauces time to soak into the pasta sheets. And making the sauces fairly sloppy also helps.

I made the Joey’s Lasagna once (the last lasagna thread) and it was not the lasagna I liked. I DO NOT like any meat in my lasagna.

I like different versions of lasagna with and without meat. Ina G’s Mushroom Lasagna’s a good meatless version. Either zucchini or eggplant rollatini can be other veggie options.

@chloebud, would love your recipe. Is it already online?

@lizbeth-gardener, this is it. It contains tweaks I’ve made over the years. Somewhere I have the original recipe from the book but can’t find it. You can really use any favorite meat sauce. I just really like this particular filling.

Lasagna Imbotite

This can be completely assembled the day before baking. Do not add final topping of Parmesan until the last 15-20 minutes of baking.

Sauce (best made a day or 2 ahead - keep covered in fridge):
2 T. olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. Italian sausage (sweet and/or mild)
2-3 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 28-oz. can tomato sauce (see Note below)
1 14 1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained (see Note below)
1/2 cup red wine (optional)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan. Add ground beef and sausage. Cook until almost browned. Crumble (potato masher works nicely), then add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add both cans of tomatoes, rinsing out with the wine, if using (or use a little water). Add remaining ingredients and bring to a low boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning. Remove from heat and cool to room temp. Cover and put in fridge.

Filling:
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup butter
1 pint ricotta cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry (a potato ricer works great for squeezing out liquid)
1 tsp. salt
Pinch of nutmeg

1 lb. fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Lasagna noodles of choice (you’ll need about 4 per layer, depending on the brand you use)

Fry the mushrooms in butter; season with light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Mix mushrooms and their juices with the ricotta. Blend in spinach, Parmesan, salt and nutmeg. Taste for seasoning, and mix in eggs.

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9 X 13 pan and cover with about 1/2 cup sauce. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles. Spread noodles with half of filling, top with a layer of Mozzarella followed by Parmesan. Top with 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat with noodles, rest of filling, Mozzarella and Parmesan. End with layer of noodles, rest of sauce and top with Parmesan. Cover with foil (see Note) and bake for about an hour. Remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes or until bubbling. Let sit for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Note: I‘ve sometimes used two jars of Rao's Marinara Sauce (22 oz. each) in place of the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. As noted above, I assemble the lasagna the day before baking. I don't add the final topping of Parmesan until removing the foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking. For the foil, placing a piece of parchment over the dish under the foil can help with anything sticking to the foil and contact with tomatoes in sauce.

”Imbotite” just means “filled“ or “stuffed“ which pretty much refers to most lasagna recipes.

Thanks, Chloebud!

I said above up make lasagne the day before. I should have said make but don't bake. A day unbaked to merge the sauces, pasta and flavours really improves it.

YW, lizbeth!

I have the Atlas machine too, was given by a friend of my husbands when she upgraded to electric... perfecting the dough and rolling out to number 7 was quite a challenge back then !

100 layer lasagna sounds amazing !

I love a vegetarian recipe from Greens cookbook with a red sauce and a green sauce (and bechamel).... 3 years ago I did a multi-color huge lasagna for christmas , it was a very fun project

Another recipe I love is from Lisa Bondi, my Italian friend had to translate it for me - it uses spinach noodles and has ground beef and there is milk in the tomato sauce which I had never heard of before that

I haven't made lasagna in awhile because my son stopped eating wheat but I did make pappardelle last week and it was so good, I might get back into it

@lat62 the milk or cream is traditionally added to Bolognese sauce. It can be added to any tomato based sauce to increase creaminess and decrease acidity . c

Hee is a 12 layer using fresh noodles and fresh spinach . Serious Eats

https://www.seriouseats.com/food-lab-creamy-cheesy-ultimate-spinach-lasagna-recipe

There used to be a spinach lasagna that you just stuffed in uncooked baby spinach a #1 bag ! I used to have it written out and made it several times. It was an Ina Garten recipe but it appears to be gone and I can’t find my copy. The Kitchn says they have it but it calls for cooking . Bummer..anyway if you use fresh noodles and don’t cook them at all and a thick Bechamel sauce it all evens out beautifully. c

When you talk about fresh noodles/sheets do you mean fresh as in soft but not yet cooked?

I use what I call packet instant sheets which are crispy but don’t need precooking... just add a little extra water to the sauce.

The other sheets that come in a packet are crispy and do need pre cooking. Help!

Yes, @neely, fresh as in recently made and still soft, not dried out. You can get them here in the refrigerated section of the supermarket if you're not making your own.

I get the instant ones as well but in all honesty the regular ones will also cook up fine if you add some extra liquid to the sauce and let it stand for a few hours/overnight after you assemble the lasagne.

lat62, I make gluten free pasta sheets for my celiac daughter. I've used the same recipe for pappardelle, and it freezes well, it's on the King Arthur website. I have found that it doesn't do well with the Atlas, though, I roll it by hand with a rolling pin.

Annie

This made me think about the best white sauce veggie lasagna I ever tasted - it was Stouffers 😀

Surely not as healthy as homemade, but so, so delicious.

FWIW, a troll can only ruin things if you let them. Dialing one's 'ignore' up to high is one remedy. I also find it rather entertaining to observe how predictable certain replies can be. The lack of self awareness is amazing.

That said, I realize conflict can be distressing for many folks. I grew up in an arguing family, but hubby has PTSD from childhood trauma and gets super uncomfortable when people around him disagree.

I detest arguing. I will NOT ignore!

@John Liu, if you're still looking for a veggie substitute for pasta, have you seen Yuba sheets? I just saw, for the first time, Yuba sheets from Hodo, which have twice as much protein as carbs. It's the skin that forms while making soy milk. Apparently the protein rises to the top. I don't know how well they'd hold up in a lasagna, but the copy says they can be used as wraps (which I take to mean sandwich wraps), which should be good enough unless they dissolve in baking.