From Tyler Florence on , serves 8.
Ingredients
2 pounds dried lasagna noodles
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground beef
2 pound ground Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped oregano leaves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups red wine
2 (28-ounce) cans tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 quarts ricotta cheese (2 containers)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
Grated parmesan and mozzarella, for topping
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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 and 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 half of the ricotta mixture over the pasta, spread to the edges with a spatula. Spread half of the meat mixture over the ricotta. Sprinkle half 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.
Wine ideas:
Pour the biggest red you can find, then go to bed immediately after dinner. Or look to your wine for help in getting through this block of creamy, saucy cheese and meat, and choose something that might seem light but has the kind of gritty, can-do acidity and tannin to power right through this sucker. I’m thinking of a chewy Cirò from Calabria in the heel of Italy’s boot (Librandi’s runs about $16) or a tannic nero d’avola from Sicily (check out Tasca d’Almerita’s Lamuri for an elegant $18 version).
Tara Q. Thomas
