Pooh
06-09-2002, 03:01 AM
Hi everyone!! This is our favorite meal. It can certainly be done in 1 day - you just need to start early enough to let the sauce simmer. Enjoy!!
Tater and Pooh’s Lasagna
Day 1-
Meat Sauce
2 lbs. Italian sausage (or 1 lb. sausage, 1 lb. ground beef)
3 lg. onions
½ c. chopped parsley
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
2-4 cloves garlic
16 oz. tomato paste
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
2 dashes nutmeg
2 dashes allspice
2 shots whisky
Olive oil
Mozzarella (buy at least 6 c. but don’t use all of it…)
Shredded parmesan (buy 1 bag or 1 wedge)
Brown and drain sausage. Chop very fine, onions, celery, parsley and carrots. Brown veggies in 2T olive oil. When onions are transparent, add garlic and continue for 1 – 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, spices, whiskey and sausage. Simmer, partially covered, about 2 hours.
*I usually do this 1-2 days ahead to let the flavors meld.
*You will have extra sauce left over (about ½ - 1 cup).
Day 2-
*Cook Béchamel sauce and noodles at the same time.
Béchamel Sauce:
4 T. sweet butter
6 T. flour
4 c. Vitamin D milk, hot
1 t. salt
½ t. white pepper
½ t. nutmeg
2 bay leaves
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat and blend flour into it. Slowly stir in hot milk then add pepper, nutmeg, salt and bay leaves. Cook and stir constantly with a wire whisk until smooth and boiling. Cook 2 minutes more, then remove bay leaves.
Noodles:
*Cook these immediately before assembly and work fast because noodles will stick together. I usually try to lay them out over the edge of the colander.
*Buy 2 boxes of noodles and cook 4 or 5 out of the second box just in case. I have run out of noodles before right in the middle of assembly and that’s a bummer.
2 boxes of noodles
Boil noodles with 1/8 cup olive oil until curly edges begin to turn white. Drain and rinse under cold water.
ASSEMBLY:
In a 9x13x2 pan, rub a thin layer of olive oil and place a thin layer of meat sauce. (To keep noodles from sticking.)
Lay the 1st layer of noodles. Place a generous layer of meat sauce then 1 ½ cups of white sauce.
Lay the 2nd layer of noodles perpendicular to the first, then a generous layer of mozzarella. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
Lay the 3rd layer of noodles, a generous layer of meat sauce, then 1-½ cups of white sauce.
Lay the 4th layer of noodles, a generous layer of meat sauce, and mozzarella. Leave a ¼ inch gap between cheese and sides of pan.
Sprinkle with Parmesan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.
Tater and Pooh’s Lasagna
Day 1-
Meat Sauce
2 lbs. Italian sausage (or 1 lb. sausage, 1 lb. ground beef)
3 lg. onions
½ c. chopped parsley
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
2-4 cloves garlic
16 oz. tomato paste
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
2 dashes nutmeg
2 dashes allspice
2 shots whisky
Olive oil
Mozzarella (buy at least 6 c. but don’t use all of it…)
Shredded parmesan (buy 1 bag or 1 wedge)
Brown and drain sausage. Chop very fine, onions, celery, parsley and carrots. Brown veggies in 2T olive oil. When onions are transparent, add garlic and continue for 1 – 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, spices, whiskey and sausage. Simmer, partially covered, about 2 hours.
*I usually do this 1-2 days ahead to let the flavors meld.
*You will have extra sauce left over (about ½ - 1 cup).
Day 2-
*Cook Béchamel sauce and noodles at the same time.
Béchamel Sauce:
4 T. sweet butter
6 T. flour
4 c. Vitamin D milk, hot
1 t. salt
½ t. white pepper
½ t. nutmeg
2 bay leaves
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat and blend flour into it. Slowly stir in hot milk then add pepper, nutmeg, salt and bay leaves. Cook and stir constantly with a wire whisk until smooth and boiling. Cook 2 minutes more, then remove bay leaves.
Noodles:
*Cook these immediately before assembly and work fast because noodles will stick together. I usually try to lay them out over the edge of the colander.
*Buy 2 boxes of noodles and cook 4 or 5 out of the second box just in case. I have run out of noodles before right in the middle of assembly and that’s a bummer.
2 boxes of noodles
Boil noodles with 1/8 cup olive oil until curly edges begin to turn white. Drain and rinse under cold water.
ASSEMBLY:
In a 9x13x2 pan, rub a thin layer of olive oil and place a thin layer of meat sauce. (To keep noodles from sticking.)
Lay the 1st layer of noodles. Place a generous layer of meat sauce then 1 ½ cups of white sauce.
Lay the 2nd layer of noodles perpendicular to the first, then a generous layer of mozzarella. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
Lay the 3rd layer of noodles, a generous layer of meat sauce, then 1-½ cups of white sauce.
Lay the 4th layer of noodles, a generous layer of meat sauce, and mozzarella. Leave a ¼ inch gap between cheese and sides of pan.
Sprinkle with Parmesan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.