Victoria Gottis Sunday Lasagna Recipes

VICTORIA GOTTI'S SUNDAY GRAVY SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic browning slightly, be careful not to burn it.
• Add the meat a few pieces at a time. Brown all the pieces on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.
• Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, bouillon cubes, and water to the meat mixture, stir to combine. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add the salt and pepper, basil sprigs, oregano, and parsley to the pot, cover and let simmer for 2-3 hours until the meat is falling off the bone and the sauce has thickened. Stir the pot every 20 minutes.
• When the sauce is done and the meat is tender, remove the meat from the sauce and set aside in a covered casserole dish. Serve both the meat and the sauce with your choice of pasta.

VICTORIA GOTTI'S SUNDAY LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, 3/4 pound of the mozzarella, 3/4 cup of the romano cheese, the eggs, milk, and the salt and pepper. Whisk the mixture by hand until it looks creamy and the ingredients are evenly blended. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and sausage. Saute for 6 minutes, stirring so it doesn't stick.
• In a large suacepan, heat the sunday gravy. Stir in the sausage. Cover the saucepan and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a large pot filled with boiling water, place the noodles and the remaining 2 tbl of oil. Cook the noodles until al dente, about 6-8 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water, set aside.
• Spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of a lasagna pan, place a single layer of noodles over the sauce.
• Top the noodles with another ladle of sauce.
• Drain and excess liquid from the refrigerated ricotta mixture, and spoon 1/4 of the mixture over the first layer of noodles and sauce. Repeat the process three times, layering noodles, sauce, and cheese four times (there should be 4 layers total) and end with a layer of sauce. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella, 1/4 cup romano, and oregano and parsley flakes on top.
• Bake the lasagna for 40 minutes, or until the cheese on top is golden and bubbling.
• Allow the lasagna to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

THE BEST LASAGNA

Steps:

• Place the beef in a large bowl and "pull" it apart with two forks as if you were shredding pulled pork, breaking up the clumps and loosening the meat without compacting it.
• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the meat is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to a large bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pot.
• Spread the beef in an even layer in the same pot and cook undisturbed until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, breaking up any clumps and scraping up any browned bits from the pot, until the meat is browned and completely cooked, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the browned meat with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the pancetta, leaving the fat in the pot.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrots, celery, onions, half the garlic, the bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it's very fragrant and brick red colored, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, bring to a boil and reduce until the liquid is very thick and no smell of alcohol remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the reserved pancetta and beef, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Add the basil and Parmesan rind and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce resembles sloppy joes, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. There shouldn't be any rapid bubbles while cooking. Instead, the ragu should release occasional small bubbles. If the ragu reduces too quickly, add 1/2 cup of water and continue cooking. Repeat if necessary. The ragu needs the full 2 to 2 1/2 hour cook time to develop the flavors.
• Discard the bay leaf, basil and Parmesan rind. Break up any remaining clumps of meat with the back of a spoon, making an even textured sauce. Season with salt and set aside until ready to assemble.
• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the noodles, stirring occasionally and separating them to prevent sticking, until softened and bendable but are still hard and chalky in the center, about 5 minutes. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl of cold water and set aside until ready to assemble.
• Stir together the ricotta, 1 cup of the Parmesan, the remaining grated garlic and 2 teaspoons salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside until ready to assemble.
• Lightly oil a 13-by-9-inch glass or ceramic baking pan. Spread 1 cup of the ragu evenly in the bottom of the pan. Lay a single layer of noodles over the ragu (if you're using long noodles, you will need to cut some noodles to fill the gaps). Spread 1 1/2 cups of the ragu over the noodles. Dollop 3/4 cup of the ricotta mixture over the ragu and spread lightly with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, followed by another layer of noodles. Repeat with the remaining pasta, ragu, ricotta mixture and mozzarella, creating 4 layers of pasta and ending with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. (The lasagna should come just above the top of the pan but it will sink down slightly as it cooks.) Top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
• Lightly oil a piece of foil and cover the pan. Put the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake the lasagna until bubbling gently around the edges, about 1 hour.
• Remove the lasagna from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Remove the foil and then continue to bake the lasagna until the top is browned and crisp around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

WORLD'S BEST LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

SUNDAY LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Make marinara sauce: heat oil, garlic, and crushed pepper flakes in a large pot over medium heat until garlic speaks by sizzling in oil.
• Add in ground meat and onion; cook for 10 minutes, until onion is very soft and sweet.
• Add in tomatoes, basil, oregano, and salt; bring to a bubble; decrease heat and simmer 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine filling ingredients in a bowl.
• Line a lasagna pan with a couple ladles of sauce (about ½ cup).
• Place a layer of lasagna noodles on top of sauce; cover with a layer of cheese filling.
• Add a touch of grated cheese and a few dots of sauce.
• Place another layer of noodles in pan going in opposite direction, breaking pasta if needed to make it fit.
• Repeat process until pan is full.
• Top with mozzarella cheese.
• Cover pan with plastic wrap, then foil.
• Place in oven and cook 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until liquid is absorbed and noodles are tender.
• Uncover and place under broiler to brown cheese.