Lasagna
I don’t want to meet the person who claims that they don’t like lasagna, that indulgent stack of pasta, meat sauce and cheese that makes my mouth water at just the thought. There are a lot of variations on lasagna that mainly stem from it’s Italian roots, but some people also seem to put their own spin on the classic with International flavors, and today I will be looking at the way 3 people make their lasagna to see which one is the best.
The recipes for today’s article come from Epicurious’s 4 Levels of Lasagna where John, a level 1 chef, Khadjiah, a level 2 chef, and Frank, a level 3 chef from the Institute of Culinary Education, made lasagna their way. I will be making all 3 lasagna recipes, taste them all myself, and see which one I like best.
But before I get to the recipes, let me break down the three recipes and go over what makes each one unique.
Proteins
Most lasagnas are layered with a ragu or meat and tomato sauce, although there are also plenty of vegetarian alternatives these days, and I think it goes without saying that the kind of meat you use can have an impact on the flavors in your lasagna.
John used ground beef, ground beef is classic for lasagnas because it cooks fast, is already tender, and can take on flavors quite well.
Khadjiah used ground turkey for her Caribbean style turkey and mushroom lasagna. Ground turkey is a nice lighter alternative to beef as it has much less fat, plus not everyone eats red meat. She also seasoned her turkey using some Caribbean spices such as smoked paprika and a spice mixture called berbere.
Frank used beef short ribs, beef short ribs are a highly flavorful cut of meat that, through the process of braising, can break down and become very tender. He also used a bit of pancetta, think of pancetta as unsmoked bacon, it is very salty and fatty, but will add a ton of flavor to the sauce.
Sauce
The other half to this meat and tomato sauce is the tomatoes.
John used a store bought marinara sauce. Premade marinara is fine for busy home cooks as you just need to heat it up and it’s ready, but depending on what brand of sauce you get it might have some preservatives and other less desirable ingredients to maintain shelf life.
Khadjiah used canned fire roasted tomatoes. Canned tomatoes are probably one of the best convenience products out there, they’re especially great during the winter when fresh tomatoes aren’t exactly at their best, and the fire roasted tomatoes offer a bit of extra flavor to the sauce.
Frank used canned crushed tomatoes which, like the fire roasted tomatoes Khadijah used, are a great pantry staple that is capable of producing great tasting dishes, and as long as you trust the brand of tomatoes you use then it should guarantee good results each time.
Vegetables
We all need to get more veggies in our diet, especially with a lasagna that’s loaded with red meat, pasta and cheese.
While John didn’t add any vegetables to his sauce, aside from any that might’ve been in the marinara sauce he used, he did layer some spinach leaves in his lasagna, the spinach leaves would wilt as the lasagna bakes.
Khadjiah used mushrooms in her sauce, a key part for a turkey and mushroom lasagna. The earthy, meaty flavor of the mushrooms add a nice umami depth of flavor that compliments the ground turkey nicely.
Frank kept it fairly simple, using onion and carrot in his sauce which, like any aromatic, add a nice base of flavor to enhance the flavor of the beef and the tomatoes, plus the carrots add a bit of sweetness to cut through the harsh acidity that canned tomatoes tend to have.
Cream Layer
One tasty part of any good lasagna is a cream layer, often made with either ricotta cheese or a bechamel sauce, depending on where you live. This layer acts almost like an edible glue that holds the layers of meat sauce and pasta together so it doesn’t fall apart as you try to cut into the finished lasagna to serve it.
John simply used ricotta cheese that he seasoned with grated parmesan, ricotta is nice in a lasagna because it melts a bit in the oven to create a nice creamy layer. John also seasoned his ricotta with salt, pepper, and dried Italian seasoning, dried herbs are nice because they’re widely available and their flavor blooms inside the lasagna as it bakes.
Khadijah also used ricotta, but added in some fresh basil for a bright herbal flavor and some shredded mozzarella cheese, mozzarella will add a bit more stringiness to the lasagna and make it a bit extra creamy.
Frank took a page from northern Italy by making a bechamel sauce. Bechamel is a classic French sauce made with butter, milk, and flour that is often used to layer lasagna. To this bechamel, Frank added in some garlic for flavor and some grated parmesan for a bit of saltiness and to make the sauce even creamier.
Pasta
My love, my baby. Pasta really is the foundation of any good lasagna, because without it you’d just be left with a bowl of meat sauce and cheese…it wouldn’t be a terrible thing but would get a bit messy.
John used no-boil lasagna sheets. No-boil sheets are basically lasagna sheets that are cooked and then left to dry, so all you need to do to them is assemble them in the lasagna and bake.
Khadjiah used dried pasta that she first boiled to make them softer and help the sheets layer in the lasagna a bit better.
Frank made fresh pasta, fresh pasta is a great thing to make if you want to impress your friends and family and is a great way to show that you love them.
Regardless of how you make your lasagna, you are guaranteed a happy face, and a full belly.
Now I am going to try making each of these chef’s lasagna recipes myself and see which one is the best, and in case you wanted to try any of these recipes yourself, then I’ll put them down for you here.
Level 1 Lasagna (John’s Recipe)
Serves 8
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
Salt and pepper
1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
1 container (28 oz) whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 box (1 pound) no-boil lasagna sheets
6 oz baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
-Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C
-In a large nonstick pan, add the ground beef and cook over medium heat, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, until the beef is no longer pink in the center. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then pour in the marinara sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then let it reduce for about 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
-Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, parmesan, and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
-In a 9x13 baking dish, spread on a thin layer of the meat sauce until it’s even, then lay on a layer of lasagna sheets, followed by more sauce, 1/3 of the ricotta, and 1/3 of the spinach, making sure the layers are even. Repeat this step, then top with a final layer of pasta, the remaining ricotta, and a sprinkling of the mozzarella.
-Cover the entire dish with foil, then bake the lasagna for 1 hour. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, remove the foil then crank the oven up to it’s highest temperature and let that go to get the top crispy. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Level 2 Lasagna (Khadjiah’s recipe)
Serves 8-10
For the Sauce:
Olive oil
10 oz cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves removed
1 tbsp smoked paprika, divided
1 pound ground turkey
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 (28 oz) can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp berbere seasoning, plus more if needed (Or a mix of paprika and cayenne), use less if you don’t want it too spicy
1 tsp honey
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp fish and meat sauce (Found in the Asian aisle. A mix of hoisin sauce, soy sauce and Worcestershire is a good alternative)
For the Cheese and Pasta:
1 container (28 oz) whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 eggs
2 bunches of fresh basil leaves, leaves removed and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1 box dried lasagna sheets
-Heat a thin layer of oil in a Dutch oven, then add the mushrooms and cook over medium high, stirring occasionally, until the water has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the onion and cook for another 3 minutes, or until it starts to soften. Add the garlic, thyme, and half of the smoked paprika, then cook until fragrant.
-Add the ground turkey, then keep cooking, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is browned and no longer pink in the middle. Meanwhile, dump the canned fire roasted tomatoes into a blender, then blend until smooth.
-When the turkey is cooked, deglaze the pot with the red wine, making sure to scrape up the bottom, then add the chicken stock, berbere, tomato paste, tomatoes, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then let it cook for about 45 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced and the sauce is thick. Remove the bay leaf, then add the remaining smoked paprika and fish and meat sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste and, if you want, more berbere.
-Heat the oven to 375 F/190 C and bring a wide pot of water to a boil.
-For the creamy layer, combine the ricotta, parmesan, half of the mozzarella, eggs and basil, then season with salt and pepper. When the water is boiling, add the lasagna sheets and boil for about 8 minutes, or until bendable. Remove from the water and drain onto kitchen towels.
-To assemble, spread a thin, even layer of the sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Add on a layer of pasta, followed by half of the ricotta mixture, more sauce, and a sprinkling of mozzarella and parmesan. Repeat this until you’ve used up all of your sauce and/or pasta, then top with a final layer of mozzarella. Cove the pan with foil, then bake for 30 minutes with the foil on, then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Let it cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
Level 3 Lasagna (Frank’s Recipe)
For the Sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 pound pancetta, diced
2 pounds boneless beef short ribs
1 large onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh basil, leaves removed and stems tied together with kitchen twine
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup beef broth
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Chili flakes
For the Bechamel Sauce:
4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 tbsp flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
For the Fresh Pasta and assembly:
1 pound 00 flour
6 eggs
A pinch of salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
-Heat the oven to 350 F/180 C
-To make the sauce, heat up the oil and pancetta in a Dutch Oven until the pancetta is browned and the fat has rendered. Meanwhile, season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside, then add the sort ribs and cook over medium high for about 1-2 minutes per side, or until the short ribs are browned on all sides.
-Add the onion, carrot, garlic, and basil stems (Save the leaves for assembly), then cook for about a minute, or until the veggies begin to soften. Return the pancetta to the pot, then add the red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits at the bottom, then add the beef broth and tomatoes and stir to combine. Bring everything to a simmer, then cover the pot and transfer to the oven for about an hour, or until the sauce has reduced and the meat is fall-apart tender.
-Season with salt, pepper and chili flakes, then shred apart the meat with two forks.
-For the bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and garlic, then cook for about a minute, whisking constantly. Slowly add the milk, then bring to a simmer and let it go for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Stir in the parmesan, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
(Fresh pasta is great, but I won’t stop you if you want to do this with dried pasta)
-For the fresh pasta, mound up the flour on a clean surface, then make a well in the center. Crack in the eggs, add a pinch of salt, then use a fork to beat the eggs and start to slowly incorporate the flour. When the eggs thicken, get your hands in and work in as much remaining flour as it takes to get a stiff dough. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until elastic, then cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a wide saucepan of water to a simmer.
-Use a pasta roller or rolling pin to roll the pasta into thin, even sheets that can fit into your 9x13 baking pan. Salt the water, then cook the pasta sheets in batches for about 2 minutes a piece, or until each sheet floats to the surface of the water. Remove the sheets and let them dry on paper towels.
-Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of your baking pan, then top with a layer of pasta, followed by even layers of meat sauce, bechamel, mozzarella, parmesan, and basil leaves. Repeat until you’ve run out of pasta, then top with a final layer of meat sauce and cheese. Cover with foil, then bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let the lasagna cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
The Verdict
Alright, having made and tasted all three lasagna recipes, it’s time for me to say what I thought and also declare a winner.
I feel like the level 1 is the sort of easy lasagna that you’d make as a weeknight dinner for your family, and the spinach adds a nice note of vegetation.
The level 2 lasagna had a few very interesting flavors going on, it had a bit of smokiness, a touch of spiciness, and some nice meatiness from the mushrooms that played well with the turkey.
The level 3 lasagna…oh my! That tender, fall apart short rib ragu, the creamy bechamel, the freshness of the pasta, I felt like I was sitting in a cottage in the mountains of Italy with each flavorful bite!
Yeah, I’d say that the level 3 lasagna is my winner here!
