LT isn’t particularly a fan of Ricotta or cottage cheese, but that’s what my grandmother always used in her lasagna. So, because I love my husband and want him to be happy (and was curious about lasagna), I went in search of a recipe that didn’t use either of the chunky cheeses.
Some recipes said to just use shredded mozzarella, but I did want a little more texture. Then I discovered bechamel sauce, which is the white sauce that the Italians actually use in their lasagne, along with pork. So I altered my grandmother’s already yummy recipe to use bechamel. It was wonderful. And surprisingly easy, considering I am no chef. And because I love my readers oh so much, I have decided to share the recipe with ya’ll. So enjoy!
Prep time: 1-2 hours. Cook time: 30 min. (Some people think that lasagna tastes better if it ages in the refrigerator for one day. I am not sure if that means they bake it first…)
INGREDIENTS
Ragu (meat sauce):
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb can tomatoes
- 12 oz tomato paste
- 1 T parsley flakes
- 1 ½ t salt
- garlic salt to taste
Bechamel sauce:
- ½ c (1 stick) butter
- ½ c flour
- 4+ c milk
- ¾ c shredded Italian cheese (Parmesan is the most authentic)
- homemade Italian seasoning to taste
- salt, pepper, parsley to taste
Other ingredients:
- 10 oz lasagna noodles (or 10 noodles)
- 1 lb mozzarella sliced thin (=two packages of sliced cheese)
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
This is in the order I cooked, meat, behamel, noodles.
Meat sauce:
- Brown the meat.
- Drain and return to pan.
- Add other 5 ingredients for meat sauce.
- Simmer uncovered until sauce is thick, 45 min-1 hr. (Just keep it on low while you prepare everything else. The tomato paste will soften. Stir, and it will thicken to a good consistency)
Bechamel sauce:
- Melt the butter on low (don’t use a nonstick pan).
- Brown the flour and mix it until it doesn’t smell like flour anymore.
- Add milk slowly while stirring vigorously to keep lumps from forming.
- Stir slowly over moderate heat until thick. Add extra milk as needed.
- Add seasoning and cheese to taste.
Preheat oven to 375°F
Cook noodles according to package directions. Dry on wax paper.
Place half of the noodles in a 9×13 pan.
Layer half of the bechamel sauce, half the mozzarella, half the meat sauce.
Finish with noodle, bechamel, mozzarella, meat.
Bake 30 min uncovered. Let stand 15 min covered with tin foil.
REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS
Heat covered (with foil) at 220°F for 20-25 min.
RECIPE VARIATIONS
For a more authentic lasagna, use pork instead of hamburger and use fresh tomatoes and pasta, rather than canned or packaged.
For a less authentic (or more Southern Italian) lasagna, find a different recipe that uses cottage cheese or ricotta instead of bechamel sauce. Most American recipes use either cheese. You could also try exchanging a pre-made Ragu sauce for the meat sauce.
Have fun, and buon appetito!
