In the front section of my recipe box, there is a worn out piece of paper, containing one of my all time favorite recipes: my Great Aunt's Lasagna. When I was younger she would make it at her farmhouse whenever we came to visit. When I went to university, she and my mother would make up a big pan of it, bring it over to my house and have a feast. The leftovers would be in my freezer for late night studying food. To me this is the perfect comfort food (right up there with my
Mom's Infamous Mac and Cheese).
I think that part of what makes this recipe so heart warming for me, is that it always make me think about the lady behind that faded out recipe card. My Great Aunt has always been like a grandmother to me. But not just your run-of-the-mill grandmother. She has always been there for us through thick and thin. I talk to her on the phone every week. When I get the chance, I go up to visit her and she always cooks something way too elaborate for just two people. She sends me home with leftovers like I won't be fed if she doesn't. This past Thanksgiving weekend, one of the highlights for me was standing at the sink, elbow-to-elbow with her, peeling potatoes and carrots and chatting about everything under the sun.
So, this is why I am sharing her recipe right now. Because everyone deserves to feel a little of the love that my Great Aunt shows me every day.
What you'll need:
1 cup Onion, chopped
1/2 cup Celery, chopped
1/2 cup Green pepper, chopped
6-7 Mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves of Garlic, chopped
1 28oz can of Diced Tomatoes
1 6oz can of Tomato Paste
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp Rosemary
1/4 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Sugar
2 lbs Ground Beef
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 lb Ricotta
1 lb Mozzarella
6oz Lasanga Noodles
I like to get all the spices ready and mix them up in a little bowl. Then when its time to add them in, its easier than going one by one over a steaming pot of veggies. Thats just how I roll....but do whatever you like. No judgement here.
Chop up the veggies (I forgot to show the celery and garlic in this photo. What can I say? It happens sometimes!)
Now, normally I'd just use traditional diced tomatoes in the sauce, but in the past couple of years I've become hooked on San Marzano tomatoes. I use them in my
Pomodoro Sauce and love them. So I decided to toss a can of these into the lasagna recipe this time. If you have these in your grocery store (I sometimes have to hunt them down!) then give it a try sometime.
Mix together vegetables, tomatoes, tomato paste in a large pot.
Toss in the spices and bring the whole mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours.
In a pan, brown beef. Drain off fat.
Add the meat to the sauce in the last half hour of the cooking time for the sauce. Set water to boil and cook the noodles according to the package.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix together ricotta and 3/4 cup of the parmesan cheese.
Spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of cooked noodles on top of that.
Spread on half of the cheese mixture.
Top that with half the mozzarella cheese.
Continue the layers again, ending with a layer of the meat sauce. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.
Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.
This is comfort food. No doubt about it. When I make a batch, I'll enjoy it for days and freeze whatever is left. Then when I get home on some cold dark winter night, I pop this in the oven to reheat and its like the biggest warmest hug. Make it this weekend for dinner one night and enjoy amazing leftover during the week. You won't regret it!
This makes about 12 pieces.
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