Lasagne

Usually when I ask Charlie if there is anything he'd like to have for dinner, he says he doesn't know so I get whatever I think looks good and I feel like making but today he said lasagne.  That is a lot of work but here it is along with some sourdough French bread I made a couple days ago.

Norm's Lasagne

Béchamel

 1 C. heavy cream

 1 C. chicken stock

3T. butter 

3 heaping T. flour 

add salt to taste 

+ a little nutmeg 

Melt butter, stir in flour.  Add heated chicken broth a little at a time.  Add heated cream, whisking often, bring to boil and let thicken.  Set  aside.

Meat filling

1 med. onion,chopped

3 cl. garlic, minced

1 1/2 lb. ground beef (1 3/4 lbs)

3T. fresh chopped italian parsley (used spinach)

3 T. fresh chopped oregano

1 1/2 lb. mild or sweet Italian sausage ( substituted 4 wursts, skinned. Cassie does not like sausage and both of them don't like Eckridge Italian sausage)

1 1/2 C. grated Pecorino Romano cheese

salt and pepper

Oil for frying

Sauté onion and garlic in oil until soft.  Add meats and cook until done but not browned.  Stir in cheese, parsley and oregano.  Set aside

Cheese filling

1 1/3 C. fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 C. fresh chopped basil

1 1/2 -2 packages fresh mozzarella

16 oz. whole milk ricotta 

Marinara pasta sauce (from a Jar)

Package shredded mozzarella

12 lasagna noodles, cooked 

Preheat oven to 400.  Put some marinara on bottom of lasagna pan.  Put 4 lasagna (3 noodles per layer is all the pan would hold) noodles on bottom, overlapping each one.  Add half the meat mixture, 1/2 the béchamel, 1/3 the parmesan, 1/2 the basil, 1/3 the ricotta and 1/3 the marinara

Make second layer like the first and top with last 4 noodles.  Top with last of the sauce, and last of the ricotta.  Cover with foil and bake at 400 for 1 hour, 15 minutes. Turn oven up to 450.  Remove foil add shredded mozzarella and cook until browned and bubbling, about 15 minutes.  Broil a couple minutes at the end if needed for browning. 

Let set 20 minutes, cut and serve.