Jessie Lee Troyer
Serves 4
Lasagna noodles
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
28 0z. canned tomatoes
salt
boullion cube
1/8 t. Italian seasoning or poultry seasoning
pepper
powdered garlic
4 oz. boiled ham or mortadella, cut in tiny pieces
ricotta
shredded mozzarella
shredded parmesan
Prepare lasagna noodles
For the lasagna, have a deep pan of hard boiling water, salted enough that it tastes salty, in which you cook about eight strips at a time. It will depend somewhat on the size of the strips, but be sure there is room for plenty of movement of the pasta in the water.
Stir it often; it will need to cook about eight minutes, but follow the directions for cooking on the box. You might need to add a couple of minutes, although you don't want it really done, and also, it will cook more while it's in the oven.
Rinse each batch in cold water and drain well on a towel.
Sauce (Ragu)
Prepare the sauce as noodles are cooking:
1 28 oz. can of pelati (peeled tomatoes) or already prepared spaghetti sauce. If using prepared sauce, ground 1/2 lb, ground beef and 1/2 lb. ground pork and add to the sauce.
If you are making the sauce and not using prepared spaghetti sauce, do it like this:
Use enough oil to cover the bottom of skillet.
Saute 1 finely shaved onion (optional) in oil until onion is transparent.
Next, add 1/2 lb. ground pork and 1/2 lb. ground beef; brown.
Add canned tomatoes or tomato sauce
Add 1 teaspoon salt
one bouillon cube
1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or poultry seasoning)
dash of pepper.
Sprinkle powdered garlic on tomatoes
Simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes. Taste for salt.
Assemble the lasagna
Abundantly grease the bottom and sides of pan. It helps to keep the lasagna from sticking to the pan.
For layering the lasagna, spread a layer of sauce all over the bottom of the pan. Skim your spoon from the top of the sauce so it has extra fat/oil in this first layer.
Add strips of lasagna, overlapping only very slightly.
Add enough tablespoons of sauce to moisten well every strip of lasagna, particularly in the
corners and sides.
Sprinkle a bit of mortadella.
Crumble a bit of ricotta.
Add a bit of mozzarella and sprinkle over everything a tablespoon or so of parmigiano.
Sprinkle a dash of Italian seasoning.
Repeat the layers in the same way--you should have 4-6 layers.
If you run out of some ingredient, use whatever is left in the next layer, but try to make
it somewhat equal in every layer.
You can leave out any ingredient you choose, but these particular ingredients make a splendid tasting dish.
Pour plenty of sauce on top, and if you like, use several slices of American cheese before adding the parmigiano.
Sprinkle black pepper over the top.
Add tidbits of butter or margarine.
Place in preheated oven--375 to 400° for about forty-five minutes. Check to see if the juices are bubbling well.
Note: If you should have to prepare it in advance and then need to put it in the oven to bake at a later hour, add two tablespoons of water for every four portions.
