New Italian Recipes Presents:
Our Homemade Meatball Lasagna
Ingredients:
Meatballs
5 slices soft bread
2 lbs. Hamburger
3 eggs
1 small onion, finely minced
1 T ground oregano
2 T finely chopped Italian parsley
¼ cup finely chopped basil
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup finely grated Romano cheese
Salt and pepper
Sauce
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion
1 stalk celery
1 red bell pepper
5 cloves garlic
3 T balsamic vinegar
½ cup sliced black olives
2 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup sliced, sun-dried tomatoes
¾ cup red wine
2 T raw sugar(turbinado) 1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 T ground, toasted fennel seeds (Toast them over medium heat in a small skillet
for about 8 minutes).
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground pepper
1 T lemon juice
3 T brandy (optional, but it adds a really nice level of flavor in this!)
12 lasagna noodles,
fresh made lasagna pasta, boiled, or non-boil kind
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 lb. sliced Provolone cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Meatballs
Process the bread slices in a
food processor until you have medium fine crumbs.
Place in a large bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together.
Form into small meatballs, about 2 inches in diameter.
Tomato Sauce
Dice onion, celery, and red bell pepper.
Peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves.
Heat 2 T olive oil in a large Dutch oven or large sauce pan over medium heat.
Add onion, celery and red pepper and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes.
Add balsamic vinegar. Stir and let reduce for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add olives and sun-dried tomatoes.
Add two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes, one 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, sugar and ¾ cup red wine.
Stir in basil, fennel seeds, salt and pepper.
Add meatballs to sauce, cover and simmer over low heat for ½ hour. (This allows the meatballs to get done and become infused with the flavors of the tomato sauce).
Remove cover and continue to simmer slowly for about 1 ½ hours more, until sauce is reduced to a near paste. (Should be a consistency between tomato sauce and tomato paste. This allows the flavors of the sauce to intensify. (Note: The consistency can be one of your personal preference, but the more it reduces, the more the flavor intensifies. We feel lasagna is a dish that is worth the time it takes to make it rich and wonderful.)
Add the lemon juice and the brandy and allow to cook for about 3 more minutes.
Noodles
Cook the lasagna noodles if need be. Drain immediately in cold water. Arrange
pieces flat in single layer on clean, dry towels until ready to use.
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Ladle half the sauce into a 17.5 x 12 lasagna pan. Cover with half the noodles, half the ricotta cheese and half the Provolone.
Repeat.
Cover with Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Broil for 5 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned.