CHRISTMAS EVE LASAGNA

CHRISTMAS EVE LASAGNA image

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 27

Ingredients

20 Lasagna strips, partially cooked
Mozzarella Cheese, grated or, if fresh, chunked
1/2 Cup freshly grated parmesan
TOMATO SAUCE:
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 or 6 sweet italian sausage, casing removed and meat crumbled
1/2 onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1 can (1 lb, 12 oz) crushed or diced tomatoes
1 can (1 lb, 12 oz) whole plum tomatoes blenderized
1 large chunk of frozen pesto, or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
RICOTTA FILLING
2 Cups ricotta
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon sugar
freshly ground pepper
BALSAMELLA SAUCE
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of white pepper
pinch of nutmeg

Steps:

TOMATO SAUCE: In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the sausage meat. Saute for about 5 minutes, chopping up the chunks as small as possible until the meat is no longer pink. Transfer the sausage to a layer of paper towel to drain off the fat and wipe most of the fat out of the pan. Add the onions and continue to stir until the onions are translucent. Add back the sausage and garlic. Stir well. Now add both the cans of tomatoes, the pesto or basil, the sugar and a little salt if needed. Let simmer for about 40 minutes. BALSAMELLA SAUCE: In a small pan, melt the butter over love heat. Do not let it brown. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the flour. Add the milk and cream and whisk it well. Then return the pan to medium heat, whisking constantly. When the sauce is thick and smooth, reduce the heat to low and cook for a couple more minutes. Taste the sauce, it should be very creamy and rich. Stir in the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside to cool, or refrigerate overnight--do not let freeze outside on the deck. RICOTTA FILLING: Whisk all the ingredients together, and again, put in the refrigerator, not the freezing deck. LAYERING: Preheat the oven to 350. Find your nicest, deepest baking pan and spoon a small amount of the tomatoe sauce into the bottom of the pan. Arrange strips of lasagna over the sauce until the bottom of the pan is covered. Use one-third of the ricotta mixture for the next layer, then one-third of the balsamella sauce and one third of the mozzarella. Sprinkle a little parmesan cheese and then some of the tomato/sausage sauce. Cover with more lasagna strips and repeat the layers 2 more times, ending with the pasta strips. Cover this top layer with tomato/sausage sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 50 to 70 minutes until everything is bubbly and hot. Let the lasagna rest for about 20 minutes before serving.