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Italian Meatball Lasagna, not the way madre would have made it.
What makes this meatball lasagna recipe different (besides
the meatballs), is the reduced tomato sauce and the sun-dried tomatoes. And
if that’s not enough, we add a bit of balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and
brandy into the mix, and you’ve got a lasagna with “punch”.
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.
We have had so much “bland” lasagna over the years, it is a
true shame. This recipe is anything but, however, and that was our
intention. You can substitute 1 pound ground beef and one pound Italian or
kielbasa sausage for the meatballs. If you do, brown them both first. The
meatballs, with their ingredients, are a nice touch, though. Even if they
fall apart a bit in the cooking, it doesn’t matter in this dish. Try it!
Lasagna cries out for a bold red wine such as chianti or
Borolo. Salud!
Buon appetito always!
Brought to you with love from
Aunt Aletha and Dear Old Dave
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