Grammy’s Goodies Lasagna From DDD
Listen, by now you should know that if I come across a unique/borderline insane-looking lasagna recipe, I am bound to make it myself.
Today’s lasagna comes from a restaurant featured on a show you might have or might not have heard of that features some guy with spiky blonde hair called Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. The restaurant is called Grammie’s Goodies, located in Wheat Ridge, CO, and among many other tasty scratch-made Italian dishes, their over-the-top lasagna might as well be in the history books.
This lasagna is ultra-cheesy and features all sorts of meat such as homemade meatballs and Italian sausage, and is all smothered in the warm hug of a rich tomato sauce infused with pork. It sounds insane, and also sounds like my kind of lasagna!
Let’s do it! Oh, by the way, I will be scaling down the recipe for a more accessible at-home version.
Serves 8 hungry people
For the Sauce:
1/4 cup of oil
6 pork ribs (or some ribs and some neck bone)
2 teaspoons of garlic salt
1 whole bulb of garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup of chopped parsley
1 (28 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup of sliced basil
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
1/2 cup of tomato paste
For “Nona’s Meatballs”
1 pound of ground pork
1 pound of ground beef
1/2 cup of chopped onion
1 cup of breadcrumbs
1/4 cup of sliced basil
8 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 cup of chopped parsley
1 cup of grated pecorino romano
Salt and pepper
2 eggs
Oil, for the pan
For the Ricotta Mixture:
1 (28 ounce) container of whole milk ricotta cheese
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs
1/2 cup of chopped parsley
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of shredded provolone cheese
1/2 cup of grated pecorino romano
For Assembly:
Oil, for the pan
1 box of lasagna sheets
4 cooked Italian sausage links, thinly sliced
10-12 provolone slices
Grated pecorino and Chopped parsley, for garnish
Step 1: Make the sauce
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Add the pork ribs, season with garlic salt, then cook for about 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the minced garlic, yes all of it, then stir for a minute to cook out the garlic a bit.
Add the onion, parsley, tomatoes, basil, tomato paste, a pinch of salt and pepper, and 2 cups of water. Bring that to a boil, then let it gently simmer for 2 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 2: Make “Nona’s Meatballs”
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine together all of the ingredients for the meatballs except for the oil to form an even mixture.
Coat a baking sheet with a thin layer of oil, then divide and roll the meat mixture into 4 ounce balls. Roll each meatball into the oil in the tray, then place into the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through. If there’s room, you can also slide the Italian sausages in there so they can cook with the meatballs.
Let them cool slightly while you prepare the other ingredients.
Step 3: Make the Ricotta Mixture and Cook the Pasta
Combine all of the ingredients for the ricotta mixture in a large bowl.
Cook the pasta sheets in a pot of salted boiling water until they’re almost al dente, keeping in mind that the pasta will continue to cook as the lasagna bakes. Drain, then let the pasta cool a bit.
Step 4: Assemble then Bake
To assemble, generously oil a deep baking dish, then line the dish with an even layer of the cooked pasta. Top the pasta with a thin layer of sauce, half of the ricotta mixture, and all of the sliced sausages. Repeat this with another layer of pasta, sauce, and the remaining ricotta mixture, then crumble the meatballs into a thick, even layer.
Top the crumbled meatballs with a layer of sliced provolone, a final layer of pasta, sauce, and top with grated pecorino.
Cover the entire pan with foil, then bake for 2 hours, or until the sides are golden and bubbly. Let it cool for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving, topping with even more sauce and some parsley.
I can see what all the fuss is about, because this lasagna is sensational! Cheesy, full of flavor especially from that sausage meat, the meatballs and the sauce, and it’s a lasagna that would happily feed a family.
