I've adopted my grandmother's recipe for Costco shopping which saves a little money on the bulk items you use. I just figured out today that you can throw a brew session in as well. As it takes a bit of time, this makes a large amount (about 4 trays) of lasagna, so you can eat one or more that day and freeze the others for later.
Equipment:
10 quart stockpot for sauce
Skillet (1 use a 14" for this, but any size will do)
8 quart pasta stockpot for parboiling sausage and cooking pasta.
Serveral Baking Dishes 4 of these will work, or similar size foil pans, etc. Costco has the half size chafing dish foil pans. I'll use foil for the ones I freeze and/or give away and use glass or other dish for the batch I'm cooking right away.
Ingredients - (C) items are available at my local Costco
6 ea 32oz jars Tomato Sauce - (C) has Classico sauce with basil in 3 jar packs
1/4 Cup Fennel Seed
1/8 Cup Dried Basil and 1/8 Cup Dried Oregano - or 1/4 cup Italian Seasoning Mix (C has, but I like Penzsys spices, or Urtzi's Market Italian Blend from the Hill in St Louis)
10-12 Italian Sausages - Mild or Hot, or a mixture of each (C - 1/2 package)
2 lbs Ground Beef - I usually use 80/20. Also can use 1 lb Ground Beef, 1lb Ground Veal (C)
1 Large or 2 Small Onions - I use Sweet Maui Onions - you can subsitute Walla Walla or Vidalia, or just use a Spanish White Onion
3 ea 1lb Boxes of Lasagna Pasta - I like DeCecco or any other Italian brand. All the pasta made in Italy is 100% semolina by law. Domestic lasagna pasta is fine as well, but preferably also 100% semolina.
1 ea 3lb plastic tub of Riccotta (C)
1 ea 5lb bag of dried, shredded mozzerella cheese (C) (or balls of fresh mozzerella, or combo of both)
Fresh Grated Paramesean Cheese (C)
Instructions
2 days before:
Get you yeast starter going (optional)
Morning of:
Place 6 jars of Sauce in large stockpot on high heat
Add 1/4 Fennel and 1/4 cup of the other spices in sauce pot
Fill smaller stockpot 3/4 full and also bring to boil
As large stockpot with sauce comes to a gentle boil, set to simmer
As small stockpot with water comes to boil, back off heat slightly and drop in sausage for 20 minutes to par boil.
When par boil is completed, cut/breakup sausage (remove casing or leave on) and throw into simmering saucepot
Brown up ground beef/veal and onion in batches (in my 14" skillet it takes 2 batches and I add a little olive oil before adding each batch), drain off fat and liquids and add to sauce pot
Simmer for 6 hours minimum. Stir occasionally
Proceed to brewshed and make a batch of beer or other brewing task (optional)
Assembly
Bring pasta stockpot to boil and cook lasagna pasta in batches
Pour olive oil in the bottom of each pan
Layer pasta, sauce, and both cheeses and repeat until pan is full
Top with another thin layer of sauce and cover with fresh grated parmesean
Can bake immediately (350F for about 45 minutes, but varies on size of pan - you'll see cheese bubbling up the sides near the end of cooking), or wrap and freeze for later. If frozen also bake at 350, but will take longer, maybe 60-70 miuntes, again depending on size of pan. I like leaving pan covered with foil except for the last 10 minutes to brown the cheese on top.
Let rest for 5-10 minutes minimum before cutting and serving to let cheese firm up a little bit.
Grab a brew or an itailan red wine that complements the acidity of the tomatoes.
You could also brown the pork in batches instead of parboiling, but Grandma liked to boil the pork and browned the beef.
Were having several friends over tonight and will be making up several trays, including a smaller tray for them to take to their elderly parents house as cooking is difficult for them at the moment.
As I was getting this ready this morning my wife asked if the key to the recipe was cooking in my boxers. I told here that "No Pants" was critical. I'm slipping BN references at any opportunity I can get to break her in as gently as I can.
