Lasagna Al Forno Recipe Courtesy Tyler Florence Recipe 45

THE ULTIMATE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook the lasagna noodles in plenty of boiling salted water until pliable and barely tender, about 10 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Drain the noodles thoroughly and coat with olive oil to keep them moist and easy to work with.
• Coat a large skillet with olive oil, add beef and sausage and brown until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. In a food processor, combine the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, basil, parsley, an oregano. Process until pureed, add to the pan with the ground meat and stir to combine. Stir in the flour. Add the wine and cook until it has reduced by half. Stir in the tomatoes and add the heavy cream and the cinnamon.
• In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta and the parmesan. Stir in the eggs and season with salt and pepper.
• To assemble the lasagna: Coat the bottom of a deep 13 by 9-inch pan with olive oil. Arrange 4 noodles lengthwise in a slightly overlapping layer on the sauce. Then, line each end of the pan with a lasagna noodle. This forms a collar that holds in the corners. Dollop 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the pasta, spread to the edges with a spatula. Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture over the ricotta. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella on top of the ricotta. Top with a ladle full of sauce, spread evenly. Repeat with the next layer of noodles, ricotta, sauce, and cheeses. Top last layer with noodles, sauce, shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Tap the pan to force out air bubbles. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven. Let lasagna rest for 30 minutes so the noodles will settle and cut easily. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

LASAGNA AL FORNO

Steps:

• Cook the lasagna noodles in plenty of boiling salted water until pliable and barely tender, about 10 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Drain the noodles thoroughly, coat with olive oil keep them moist and easy to work with.
• Coat a large skillet with olive oil. Saute over medium heat, onion, garlic and herbs. Cook 5 minutes. Brown beef and sausage until no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Drain fat into a small container and discard. Stir in the tomato paste completely. Set aside to cool.
• In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, parsley and oregano. Stir in beaten eggs. Add Parmesan, season with salt and pepper.
• To assemble the lasagna: Coat the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch pan with a ladle full of tomato sauce. Arrange 4 noodles lengthwise in a slightly overlapping layer on the sauce. Then, line each end of the pan with a lasagna noodle. This forms a collar that holds in the corners. Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture over the pasta. Dollop 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the meat, spread to the edges with a spatula. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella on top of the ricotta. Top with a ladle full of tomato sauce, spread evenly. Repeat with the next layer of noodles, meat, cheeses and sauce. Top last layer with noodles, sauce and shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Tap the pan to force out air bubbles. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven. Let lasagna rest for 30 minutes so the noodles will settle and cut easily. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

ULTIMATE LASAGNA BOLOGNESE _ TYLER FLORENCE

Steps:

• Make the Bolognese. Put onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and sage in a food processor and process until you have a smooth vegetable pulp. Coat a large, heavy pot with oil and set over medium heat. Add vegetable pulp and saute until fragrant and some of the moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Push the vegetable mixture to one side of the pan. Season ground beef and pork with salt and pepper and add to pan. Stir and break up meat until it is brown, then dust with the flour before adding wine, tomatoes, milk, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 1 1/2 hours, uincovered, until sauce is thick. Add parmesan and parsley and season with salt and pepper if needed. Set aside while you make the bechamel.
• To make the bechamel, set a large saucepan over medium heat. Add milk, garlic, and bay leaf and bring to a simmer to infuse milk with herbs. set a large saucepan over medium low heat. Add butter and melt, then sprinkle with flourwhile stirring with a wooden spoon. Once flourhas been combined with butter, grab a whisk and gradually pour in the herb infused milk, passing it through a sieve to strain out the aromatics. As the sauce thickens, continue to whisk over low heat, then add nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool slightly.
• Preheat oven to 350°F To assemble the lasagna, cut fresh pasta to fit pan if needed. Coat the bottom of a 13x9 pan with a thin layer of bechamel. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles. Top noodles with a layer each of bechamel, bolognese, and mozzarella pieces. Continue with layers until you have three complete layers, finishing with mozzarella.Sshower the top of the lasagna with parmesan and parsley. Bake, uncovered, on a tray ( to catch drippings) in the center of the over for 1 hour. If the top starts to brown tent with foil. Let the lasagna stand for 30 minutes before cutting.

LASAGNA AL FORNO RECIPE COURTESY TYLER FLORENCE RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• Cook the lasagna noodles in plenty of boiling salted water until pliable and barely tender, about 10 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Drain the noodles thoroughly, coat with olive oil keep them moist and easy to work with. Coat a large skillet with olive oil. Saute over medium heat, onion, garlic and herbs. Cook 5 minutes. Brown beef and sausage until no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Drain fat into a small container and discard. Stir in the tomato paste completely. Set aside to cool. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, parsley and oregano. Stir in beaten eggs. Add Parmesan, season with salt and pepper. To assemble the lasagna: Coat the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch pan with a ladle full of tomato sauce. Arrange 4 noodles lengthwise in a slightly overlapping layer on the sauce. Then, line each end of the pan with a lasagna noodle. This forms a collar that holds in the corners. Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture over the pasta. Dollop 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the meat, spread to the edges with a spatula. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella on top of the ricotta. Top with a ladle full of tomato sauce, spread evenly. Repeat with the next layer of noodles, meat, cheeses and sauce. Top last layer with noodles, sauce and shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Tap the pan to force out air bubbles. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven. Let lasagna rest for 30 minutes so the noodles will settle and cut easily. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

SQUASH AND CHESTNUT LASAGNA

Steps:

• Place the pancetta in a large skillet over a medium flame. Cook for 5 minutes, until slightly crispy. Toss in the onion and olive oil and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, and chestnuts to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Toss in the squash pieces, chicken stock, and freshly grated nutmeg. Cover to steam. Let the squash cook for 20 minutes or until soft. Allow the stock to evaporate and then toss the squash and chestnut mixture into a large mixing bowl with the egg and ricotta. Stir and press with a wooden spoon. You can pulse with an immersion blender if you desire. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• The lasagna will resemble ribbon candy when finished. To assemble the lasagna, place the pasta sheet on your work surface. Coat the first 4 inches of the pasta with the squash filling and fold the long end of the pasta over the layer. Spread the next side of the pasta with a thin layer of the filling, fold over the pasta sheet, again about 4 inches, to cover the bottom layers. Sprinkle with pecorino and fold over the pasta again. Repeat until you have used the full length of the pasta sheet. Sprinkle the top with Pecorino and a sage leaf. Transfer to a greased sheet pan. Repeat for the remaining 3 sheets of pasta to make 4 "free form" lasagnas. Place the pan in the oven to bake for 20 minutes.
• To make the pasta dough: Combine the flour and salt on a flat work surface; shape into a mound and make a well in the center. Add the eggs and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the well and lightly beat with a fork. Gradually draw in the flour from the inside wall of the well in a circular motion. Use one hand for mixing and the other to protect the outer wall. Continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a ball. Knead and fold the dough until elastic and smooth, this should take about 10 minutes. Brush the surface with the remaining olive oil and wrap the dough in plastic wrap; let rest for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
• Cut the ball of dough in half, cover and reserve the piece you are not immediately using to prevent it from drying out. Dust the counter and dough with a little flour. Form the dough into a rectangle and roll it through a pasta machine, 2 or 3 times, at widest setting. Pull and stretch the sheet of dough with the palm of your hand as it emerges from the rollers. Reduce the setting and crank the dough through again, 2 or 3 times. Continue tightening until the machine is at the narrowest setting; the dough should be paper-thin, about 1/8-inch thick (keep in mind, overly thick pasta tastes gummy.) Make 4 pieces, about 20-inches long and 6-inches wide.
• Right before assembling the lasagna, bring 5 quarts of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta sheets in the water, one at a time, for 2 minutes each. Drain, cool and set aside till ready to use.