Could bring a Grizzly down: Raunchy Meat Lasagna

"Whoever finds the molar is king or queen for the day!"

I think that one of the good things I can do, with very little warning, is throw together a choice lasagna. I enjoy it, for one, which means I take care and time in selecting good ingredients, making sure everything is 'ready' before even sliding it in the oven. And two, I believe in layered flavors. Radical, I get it. I know. The future is here and it just pissed in your car. You can kick it out now, on this highway, or you can take a deep breath and let it tell you all about the Freegan movement.

But I think that lasagna is one of those things that can make people angry, if it isn't what they're expecting. My youngest sister has strict ideas concerning layered pasta dishes. I don't know why, I don't know what layered pasta dishes did to her locker, but she's ready to testify in peer court. I know my lasagnas of times past are in the clear, because she's eaten them willingly, but not without letting me know how they've let her down. Most of the time her complaints have no structure, but they have passion behind them, and they eventually boil down to "It doesn't look like Teen Movie Lasagna," meaning I've included spinach, and not enough cheese, and rarely use meat. When I do, it's turkey, and not the golden, coconut-scented limbs of Zac Efron, so I can understand the disappointment.

Most of the time I throw surprises between each layer. Last time, popcorn kernals and foreign coins. Texture. Fiber. Fear. But in honor of my youngest sibling, who is getting ready to start college, I made a lasagna that heaved with cheese, savory meats, plural, and a layer of fluffy, spiced ricotta. No green, anywhere, besides the flutter of torn basil that I scattered right before serving. The sharp, green anise flavor cut through the richness, and it was a delicious meal on a cloudy August day.

If you're a fan of sauce-y lasagna, feel free to double the tomato sauce portion of the recipe, which will leave you plenty of plain sauce to drip between layers, or serve on the side. As it is, this is a compact, dignified structure. I hope it pleases you.

Ridiculous Lasagna For People Who Love Meat

1 box Barilla No-Bake Lasagna noodles

1 28 ounce can tomato puree
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, diced (divide into two parts)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup minced parsley
3-4 tablespoons torn fresh basil
Salt and pepper, to taste

1 pound lean ground beef (or turkey)
1/2 pound ground pork
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste

1 large ball fresh mozzarella
2 cups grated mozzarella
Parmesan cheese

3 cups good-quality ricotta cheese
2 eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parsley, minced
Basil, minced
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup grated/ground Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella

Fresh basil, to garnish

In a medium saucepan, melt butter until foamy and add half of the diced onion. Saute until translucent, then grate (using a microplane, but if you don't have one, just mince really well) the garlic over the top. Stir, lower the heat to medium-low and pour in the tomato puree. If it's an especially thick batch, add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water. Stir well, season with pepper (and salt, if it needs it), and simmer for up to half an hour. Right before serving/assembling, add the parsley and basil.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, brown the pork, remaining onion and beef, chopping with a wooden spoon to break up any large clumps. Drain off any fat, and then grate a clove of garlic over the mixture, add the red pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper and turn heat to low.

Reserve 1 cup of the tomato sauce, and add the rest to the meat mixture.

Now turn to the Ricotta, dump it into a mixing bowl and slop together with the eggs, Parmesan, mozzarella, garlic, parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Stir well, set aside.

Pour a kettle of hot water over the lasagna noodles -- I usually pour the water into a 9x13 dish and slip each noodle in one by one. Let soften for ten minutes. You can preheat your oven to 350 F, too, if you like.

Now, in the bottom of another 9x13 (a little smaller, a little larger, you'll be fine) dish, pour the reserved plain tomato sauce and spread evenly over the bottom. Set down a layer of three or so noodles, then top with a cup or so of meat mixture. Dollop with the Ricotta mixture, spreading slightly, and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat, repeat, repeat, stopping only when you've begun to run out of things. Make sure the final layer is meat/sauce, and top with slices of fresh mozzarella and sprinkle with Parmesan. If you like, you can dab the top with a bit of softened butter.

Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, until piping hot, golden brown, and probably sputtering madly. Remove, carefully, from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Scatter with torn basil, and serve that business UP. 

Note: Something I like to do, often, is sub out the ricotta mixture for a bechamel sauce -- my standard, completely offensive one is 3 cups whole milk, which is warmed with a bay leaf, two smashed garlic cloves, fresh nutmeg (use less then you would if grating it in at the last minute, like two scrapes across the microplane), then streamed into a gold roux (melt two tablespoons of butter until foamy, add two tablespoons flour and whisk until golden and slightly nutty smelling) and whisked until smooth and lump-free. Season to taste with salt and white pepper, and sometimes, only sometimes, add 1/2 a cup of Parmesan cheese to it. Layer that over the meat mixture, and use instead of mozzarella on the final layer. It is delicious and decadent, like any good substitute.

Comments

[Emily]

I made this for dinner last night - delish! And the sauce was helped with a splash of red wine. Rob loved it.

[Sophie]

We would like to feature this recipe on our blog. Please email [email protected] if interested. Thanks :)

You can view our blog here:
http://blog.keyingredient.com/

[kickpleat]

okay, that looks good. i think it would hold up well in the post too. care to send me a piece? mmmm.

[sdpfeiffy]

DH is on a business trip in Texas this week, and even though it's only slightly less stifling here in South Dakota, I still think I'm going to make this lasagna for him. He arrives home late Friday night, so I won't want to serve this until Saturday, probably early afternoon or even evening. Is it possible to make ahead, refrigerate, and then bake? Or should I just forget about the "surprise" factor and make it on Saturday? Thanks for the recipe :)