The Best Lasagne

Maybe it’s the San Marzano tomatoes

You might ask, “what makes this the best lasagne?” Maybe it’s the rich meaty tomato sauce. Or maybe it’s the cheese filling. It could be even be the sweetness of the San Marzano tomatoes. I think its the combination of all those things that make this the best lasagne.

You’ve gotta love lasagne. A rich tomato sauce with ground beef, layered between thick noodles smothered with ooey gooey cheese. Somebody hit the nail on the head when they came up with that recipe. Yeah, there’s all kinds of variations. Meatballs, pork, turkey, chicken, tofu. It’s just not the same though. Deconstructed? I don’t think so, I want to deconstruct it on my plate. There is really truly only one way to make it and still call it by its rightful name. It is also one of those dishes that everybody makes better than everyone else. Someone in every family seems to make a better lasagne than anyone else. Just Google the best lasagne and see what happens. I haven’t done it, because I don’t need to! That’s because someone in my family makes a better lasagne than anyone. And that would be Kim.

It’s not super difficult but it requires some time to prepare.

In the grocery store, I’ve always been thrilled when Kim says she’s gonna make a lasagne. Picking up the foodstuff for the process. Heading off to work and coming home to a sparkling clean kitchen with the smell of a fresh lasagne finishing in the oven. Ahhh so easy. Yah, right!

I was actually home the last time she made one, so not only did I get to witness the project, I got to help clean up so I have a new respect for the process. It is not so much difficult as it is time consuming. Having an extra set of hands when doing this recipe can easily chop the prep time in half. Sometimes we do it in stages, where we’ll do the prep one afternoon and build it the next day.

The end result is a wonderful, fresh tasting lasagne that is not noodle heavy and the spinach gives an undertone that balances the entire dish.

What do I need to make the best lasagne?

The basics:

• 2-3 cups of baby spinach
• 1 box of lasagne noodles (cooked and drained)
• 1 lb of mozzarella (slice it evenly and thin)
• you will also need an 8″ x 16″ x 2.5″ lasagne pan

For the meat sauce:

• 1 lb of lean ground beef
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 tbsp of dried basil (if you want to use fresh basil, use 3 tbsp)
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 28 oz can of diced stewed tomatos (San Marzano if available)
• 2 5.5 oz cans of tomato paste
• 1 cup of water(optional)

The cheese sauce:

• 2 large eggs (beaten)
• 3½ cups of cottage cheese
• ½ cup of grated parmigiana
• 2 tbsp of dried parsley. (6 tbsp if you’re using fresh)
• ½ tsp of salt
• ½ tsp of pepper

So, are you ready to build a lasagne?

Once you’ve gathered all the materials it’s a good idea to start with a clean kitchen and lots of counter space. You’ll need it.

Making the meat sauce

To begin we’ll start with the meat sauce. Dig out the largest deepest sauté pan you have. If it has a lid even better. Start by cooking off the ground beef. You don’t want it really chunky so break it up really well. Lean ground beef is the best because it’s not full of fat. You don’t need to cook it to smithereens either, you want it so it’s just starting to brown. If there’s any fat after cooking, drain it off. Add the minced garlic, a teaspoon of salt, basil, tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Combine the mixture and simmer it on the stovetop for about 15 minutes and then let it cool. That’s the meat sauce.

Tip: You’ll see water in the recipe. If the meat mixture seems dry add some water. It all depends on how much liquid is in the diced tomatoes. More often than not you won’t need it.

The cheese sauce filling

Next we’re going to make the cheese sauce. There’s no ricotta in this recipe. Instead we’re using a blend of cottage cheese, eggs and freshly grated parmesan. Easy and delicious. Its also very easy to spread. So get a medium sized bowl and beat two eggs. Add 4 cups of cottage cheese, half a cup of grated parmesan, 2 tbsp of parsley and some salt and pepper. Stir until combined and that’s the cheese filling.

Hang on, there’s more cheese

The sliced mozzarella equates to about one and a third 400 gram bars. So it’s about just over a pound. Slice it evenly and thinly. If you keep the cheese cold it will be easier to slice.

We’re at the point of no return

At this point you can carry on, or seal everything up and build it tomorrow. The lasagne is just as good either way.

Prep the pasta

Let’s not forget about the pasta. We’re using dried lasagne noodles. The easiest way to calculate the amount is to dry fit them in your casserole dish. This recipe is perfect for an 8″ x 16″ x 2.5″ pan. When dry fitting, overlap them slightly and place them in the bottom of the pan. Double that amount and boil in salted water until al dente. It’s usually a good idea to cook a few extras. When they’re ready, rinse and lay them flat on a tea towel and pat them dry.

Prep the spinach

While the lasagne is boiling away on the stove, pepper the baby spinach. It’s generally pre washed but we like to remove the stems from the leaves. It’s a mundane task but the end result is better.

Building the best lasagne

So after all that, It’s finally time to build the lasagne. First off, divide the cheese mixture, the meat sauce, the mozzarella cheese and spinach in half. Add a layer of noodles to the pan overlapping slightly. Cover the noodles with half the cheese mixture, being careful not to disturb the noodles. Cover the cheese mixture with half of the baby spinach. Add a layer of mozzarella and cover with half of the meat mixture. Add another layer of noodles, the other half of the meat mixture, spinach, mozzarella and meat sauce.

The lasagna is ready for the oven

Preheat the oven to 350℉ when you’re ready to bake and cook for about 45 minutes.

Can I freeze this lasagne?

One of our favourite things about this recipe is that it makes about twelve servings. That’s six dinners for the two of us. Frozen in airtight containers it is good for about six months. Very rarely does it sit in the freezer that long.

And just like that, dinners ready

So that’s all there is to it, lol. All you have to do while it’s cooking is clean up. Have fun with that! It’s definitely worth the effort though, because this lasagne is absolutely delicious.

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