Slow & Steady Style Lasagna

There's Quick Lasagna, tasty and plenty filling. Then there is Slow & Steady Style Lasagna, where every bite is perfection. Both are great to know . . .

The highlight of this lasagna is the delicate handmade pasta sheets.

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Slow & Steady Style Lasagna

Step 1: Make pasta for lasagna noodles

• Recommendation: if available, use a food processor to make the dough

• Don't have a pasta roller? Brenda strongly recommends making Manicotti Crepe Noodles to replace the pasta sheets in this lasagna, it will taste just as amazing

To a mixing bowl, add:

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups flour

Sift together, then stir in:

3 eggs

3 tsp water

Knead until dough is elastic (food processor: pulse until dough is smooth).

Divide dough into 7 equal portions. Let rest 1-2 hours.

Step 2: Make Sauce

Make one batch of Brenda’s Spaghetti (or Lasagna) Sauce

To the sauce, add:

1/2 cup water

1 (7 oz) can mushroom pieces, chopped (optional)

Bring to a light boil & cover. Simmer until time to assemble lasagna.

Step 3: Put together cottage cheese mixture

In a medium bowl, combine:

16 oz cottage cheese

1 egg

1 Tbsp parsley, dried

Stir together until combined. Set aside.

Step 4: Make Sauce

Make one batch of Creamy Garlic Sauce, set aside.

Step 5: Gather remaining ingredients

8 oz cheese, shredded

1 (15 oz) can spinach, drained (optional)

Set aside.

Step 6: Prepare pasta sheets

Add cold water to a large mixing bowl, set aside. *To be used to cool the cooked pasta.

To a large pot add:

3-4 quarts water

2 tsp salt

Bring to a boil. 

While waiting to boil, roll each of the 7 dough balls into a rectangular sheet, approximately 13"x9." 

• If available, use a pasta machine: 

  • Run each sheet of pasta through at each number setting, flouring sheet lightly between rolls   

    • Expected that final roll will be setting 7 (out of 8)

    • Dual purpose of rolling pasta and developing delicate texture

  • Roll each sheet to be ~5"x 26" then cut in half to create two ~5"x13" strips

    • 14 strips will be enough to cover the 13"x9" pan for the 7 layers

• If no pasta roller, Brenda strongly recommends making Manicotti Crepe Noodles instead of lasagna noodles

Boil sheets/strips in small batches for 1 minute. Remove from boiling water and put in cold water until all pasta is cooked and cooled. Drain.

Step 7: Assemble lasagna

In a greased 13"x9" baking dish, layer as follows:

1. Sauce

2. Noodle sheet/strips

3. 1/2 cottage cheese mix

4. Noodle sheet/strips

5. Sauce

6. Spinach (optional)

7. Cheese

8. Noodle sheet/strips

9. 1/2 Creamy Garlic Sauce

10. Noodle sheet/strips

11. Remaining cottage cheese mix

12. Noodle sheet/strips

13. Sauce

14. Cheese

15. Noodle sheet/strips

16. Remaining Creamy Garlic Sauce

17. Noodle sheet/strips

18. Sauce

All ingredients should be distributed evenly so that each layer completely covers the full 13"x9" surface.

Step 8: Cook lasagna

Bake at 350F for 60-70 minutes. 

Making ahead? Prepare 12-24 hours in advance, once assembled cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until baking time. Swap plastic for aluminum foil. Place in cold oven, set to 350F and bake for 65-75 minutes.

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 Brenda’s Tips:

• Serving size: 8-12 servings

• This lasagna is totally worth the work!

• Brenda and John both prefer the Slow & Steady style. It has many similarities to the Quick Style but the homemade noodles give it incredible flavor throughout the delicate structure.

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Window to B’s Kitchen…

Quick Lasagna

There's Quick Lasagna, tasty and plenty filling. Then there is Slow & Steady Style Lasagna, where every bite is perfection. Both are great to know . . .

Brenda would periodically make lasagna for Sunday dinner when we lived in NYC. She'd put it together on Saturday night and then bake it to come out just in time for our guests to arrive. Add a loaf of fresh french bread and vegetables and it was the perfect menu for a leisurely dinner party.

After she married John, she adjusted her standard recipe to use homemade noodles as John preferred the thin delicate noodles to the boxed style. She'll still make the quick style when needed, but she also prefers the fresh homemade noodles.

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Quick Lasagna

Make Brenda’s Spaghetti (or Lasagna) Sauce Recipe

To the sauce add:

1/2 cup water

1 (7 oz) can mushroom pieces, drained & chopped (optional)

Bring to a light boil & cover.

While sauce is simmering, in a medium bowl, combine:

16 oz cottage cheese

1 egg

1 Tbsp parsley, dried

Stir together until combined. 

And gather:

16 oz pkg lasagna noodles, uncooked**

8 oz cheese, shredded

1 (15 oz) can spinach, drained (optional)

In a greased 13"x9" baking dish, layer as follows:

1. Sauce

2. Noodles

3. Cottage cheese mix

4. Noodles

5. Sauce

6. Spinach (optional)

7. Cheese

8. Noodles

9. Sauce

All ingredients should be distributed evenly so that each layer completely covers the full 13"x9" surface.

Bake at 350F for 60-70 minutes. 

Make ahead: prepare 12-24 hours in advance, once assembled cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until baking time. Swap plastic for aluminum foil. Place in cold oven, set to 350F and bake for 65-75 minutes.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: 8-12 servings

• For quick lasagna, the sauce doesn't simmer very long, but baking adds enough cooking time to meld the flavors.

• Brenda's mom always added spinach to her lasagna and it is a great way to incorporate a vegetable. Canned or fresh steamed work equally well. Other vegetables can be substituted but consider the water content and adjust sauce if needed.

• **If you prefer to use boiled lasagna noodles, only about 8 oz is needed. While gathering, boil water and cook noodles according to package directions. Immediately drain and add cold water to halt cooking. Set aside until ready to assemble, drain, then follow recommended order.

Manicotti Crepe Noodles

Manicotti Crepe Noodles

To a bowl, add:

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

Whisk together until smooth.

To cook crepe noodles - 

Heat a non-stick skillet (set to medium heat) and spritz with cooking spray. 

Once hot:

1. Poor in 2T of batter, swirling pan to help batter spread thin in a circle

2. Cook 30-60 seconds until beginning to brown

3. Flip

4. Cook 20-40 seconds longer

5. Remove

Repeat until all crepes are cooked, batter should make 20-24 crepe noodles.

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Window to B’s Kitchen…

How Brenda uses Manicotti Crepe Noodles for lasagna:

Spaghetti Sauce (or Lasagna Sauce)

Spaghetti is Brenda’s all-time favorite food that she makes for herself.

That’s a big statement considering everything that she’s known for making.

Today, Brenda’s sharing her favorite Spaghetti Sauce recipe with us. Simple, flavorful, and the perfect paring to some al dente noodles.

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Spaghetti Sauce (or Lasagna Sauce)

In a skillet heated to medium, brown:

1/2 lb ground beef

Drain fat. Season with:

Garlic salt

Seasoned salt

Set aside.

In a large pot, sauté:

1 tsp oil

1/2 cup onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Once translucent, stir in:

1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed

3/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed

3/4 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp seasoned salt

Bring to low boil, add:

1/2 lb ground beef, cooked

Let simmer. Stir periodically.

Optional: serve hot over cooked spaghetti noodles with grated cheddar cheese.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving Size: 4 servings

• Brenda loves watching the tomatoes reduce and the herbs permeate the sauce. Brenda prefers to allow the sauce to simmer 4-6 hours.

• This sauce is perfect for lasagna.

• Brenda sources her beef in pound packages so generally will brown the entire pound and freeze half for another meal.