Lasagnaaaaahh!!

Garfield and I have quite a few things in common, our love for lasagna being one of them. Lasagna, that perfect combination of meaty sauce, gooey cheese, and crunchy pasta, is quite possibly, my favorite food. I am not a big fan of ricotta cheese, so I use a béchamel sauce instead. Béchamel is a creamy sauce consisting of a flour-butter Roux whisked together with milk and flavored with a dash of nutmeg. Its preparation requires a bit of elbow grease but it is totally worth it, as it is the perfect compliment to the meat sauce.  This is the recipe for lasagna that I have been eating since I was kid, and it still continues to be my favorite. There is no better sight than that of the meat sauce (easily the best part of the whole thing) bubbling around the sides of the casserole dish. The mix of shredded cheeses give the lasagna a nice saltiness, while the fresh mozzarella provides the gooey factor. I use no-boil lasagna noodles since they are easier to deal with and soak up the sauces better, resulting in a moister lasagna. Lasagna takes a while to make, but in my opinion, all that prep and baking time is totally worth the first bite.

            Meat Lasagna

• 2 Tbs. Oil
  
• 1 Cup Chopped Yellow Onion
  
• 6 Garlic Cloves, minced
  
• 2 Lbs. Lean Ground Beef
  
• 1-Cup Dry Red Wine, like a Cabernet
  
• 2 Cans Diced Tomatoes, with Juice
  
• ¼ Cup Tomato Paste
  
• 2 Tbs. Chopped Fresh Basil
  
• 1 Stick Unsalted Butter
  
• ¾ cup All-purpose Flour
  
• 4 Cups Milk
  
• Pinch of Nutmeg
  
• 1 Package of Shredded Parmesan, Pecorino, and Asiago Cheese Mixture
  
• 1 Box of No-Boil Lasagna Noodles
  
• Fresh Mozzarella, sliced

Meat Sauce: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add ground beef. Cook Until browned, stirring to break up.  Add wine and cook until evaporated. Stir in tomatoes with juice and tomato paste. Salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Add Basil and take off heat. Set aside to cool.

Béchamel: Melt Butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat. Add flour and stir constantly until smooth and thickened (Do not let burn). Gradually whisk in milk, until well blended and smooth. Raise heat to medium and whisk constantly until boiling (This is the elbow grease part!). It is important that you whisk the entire time, so as to not let sauce burn or stick. Sauce will begin to thicken until it starts gently boiling. Reduce heat to low and whisk in salt and pepper to taste, as well as the nutmeg. Remove from heat and let cool.

Assembly: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a 13x9 inch-baking dish, place a layer of lasagna noodles. Top with 1/3 of meat sauce, 1/3 of Béchamel, and 1/3 cheese mixture. Place another layer of noodles on top and press down, so filling comes out of the sides. Repeat layering two more times. Top it all off with sliced fresh mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until cheese on top is slightly browned and filling is bubbling along sides. Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minute before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh basil. 

Enjoy!