Lovely Lasagna

I really love lasagna and although making it from scratch is a tremendous challenge for me, the adventure was a breakthrough for my cooking skills. This recipe is fabulous, makes the kitchen a mess, but the aroma and mouth watering deliciousness are worth every minute it takes.

Ricotta and Besciamella Lasagna

Marinara Sauce:

Olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Dash dried oregano, to taste

Dash dried basil, to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Besciamella Sauce:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

7 tablespoons flour

Pinch salt

2 cups milk, scalded

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch white pepper

Filling:

15 ounces ricotta cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 eggs

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Lasagna sheets boiled

Grated Parmesan

Grated Mozzarella

First, make the Marinara sauce:

In a sauce pan, drizzle a little olive oil and add chopped garlic cloves. Cook until transparent. Add crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, dried basil, salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat down and simmer, stirring often. While that is cooking down, make your besciamella.

Besciamella Sauce: In a sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk constantly for a few minutes, careful not to burn it. Add a pinch of salt. Pour scalded milk into the flour mixture all at once and continue to whisk another 3-4 minutes until thickened. Add nutmeg and a bit of white pepper. Lay aside.

Prepare the ricotta filling: Mix all ingredients together to combine.

Assembly: Start by putting about 1/2 C marinara on bottom of pan so the lasagna doesn't stick. Layer the ingredients, repeating until the pan is full: pasta sheets, ricotta, besciamella, marinara, grated mozzarella. Repeat in this order ending with the pasta layer. Then top with marinara, grated Parmesan, mozzarella, fresh parsley, and a light drizzle of olive oil.

Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour. Lasagna is done when a knife comes out clean. After the first 40-45 minutes, uncover to brown the top.When done, cover and let the lasagna rest at least 30-60 minutes before serving. This gives it time to set.