Lasagna

General tips for making lasagna:
Buy ground chuck or lean ground beef. After browning, drain off the fat before adding the seasonings or mixing with the vegetable ingredients.

If using no-boil lasagna noodles or even regular noodles, presoak them in about 1/2 cup arm water to soften. This makes the noodles easier to position in the baking pan.

If boiling lasagna noodles before layering with meat sauce and cheeses, drain the noodles on a clean dish towel. This quickly cools the noodles and keeps them from sticking together.

Balance the layering of the meat sauce with noodles to ensure that there is enough moisture in the meat sauce to steam the noodles as the lasagna bakes.

Bake covered or uncovered at 325 degrees F. Watch for overbrowning or drying out along the edges of the baking dish. If this occurs, cover with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray to prevent its sticking to the cheese on top of the casserole and continue baking.

Let finished lasagna sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting into portions to serve.

Ingredients for lasagna:
2 teaspoons salt
2 T olive oil
1 8-ounce package whole wheat lasagna noodles
4-6 cups of meat sauce (see recipe below)
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
1 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups freshly grated or shredded parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the salt and olive oil.

Boil for a few seconds before adding the lasagna noodles. Cook lasagna noodles until soft but firm, al dente. Remove noodles and drain individually on a clean dish towel. Spread out the noodles to keep them flat. Pat dry.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch glass baking dish.

Spread 1-2 cups of sauce over the bottom of the dish. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta over the pasta, followed by 1/4 of the mozzarella and 1/4 of the parmesan cheeses. Add another layer of the sauce over the cheeses.

Repeat the layers of pasta and cheeses two times. For the final layer, scatter mozzarella, parmesan and the remaining sauce over the pasta. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerator for 24 hours to develop the flavors.

When ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before baking. Bake in the 325 degree F oven until bubbly and hot, 25-30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

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Ingredients for meat sauce:
1/2 cup plus 2 T olive oil
3 large yellow onions, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs. ground beef chuck
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
3 14 1/2-ounce cans of Italian recipe stewed tomatoes (includes Italian seasoning)
1 6-ounce can of tomato paste

Preparing the meat sauce:
In a large stockpot, heat 1/2 cup olive oil over medium heat. When it is hot, add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Push the vegetables to the side a bit, add the garlic, season the vegetables with salt and pepper, and cook for another 2 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat.

When it is very hot, add half of the meat and cook, breaking up the clumps, until browned, about 8 minutes. Drain off the fat. Transfer the meat to the pot with the cooked vegetables. Repeat with the other half of the meat.

Add the bay leaves, oregano, 1 cup water, sugar, tomatoes and their liquid, and tomato paste to the meat and vegetables. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low or medium-low and cook for 45 minutes. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Use meat sauce in making lasagna.