A warm dish for the last of those cold winter nights

With the snow melting along the highways and the hills we can feel spring coming in New England, but we still get those chilly nights when a warm filling meal is needed. Our lasagna will not only fill you up with warmth for a cold night, but it will also be the best leftover lunch the next day. 

The YCB Lasagna (with Meat)
1 ½ cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1-tablespoon thyme- minced
1-tablespoon oregano- minced
1-pound sweet Italian sausage
1 pound lean ground beef
1 box lasagna pasta
2 15oz part skim, or whole milk ricotta cheese
½ cup minced parsley
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
2 16oz pasta sauces
1 large bunch of Fresh Basil
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
13x9 baking pan
 
What to do:
In a large sauté pan over medium heat place 1 tablespoon olive oil, onions and garlic. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Sauté onions and garlic for 5 minutes stirring occasionally, until onions start to brown. Add the thyme and oregano cook for 1 minutes stirring.



Add the meats, breaking them up and stirring until the onions mixture is well combined with the meats. Cook for 20 minutes, until meat is browned, stirring occasionally. Once the meat is done, remove from heat and set aside.



While the meat is cooking, fill a large pot ¾ full of water. Add a 1-tablespoon olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Place water over high heat. Once the water is boiling, add the entire box of lasagna pasta, cook for 10 minutes. At 8 minutes of cooking, check the pasta to see if it is done: just remove one piece of pasta from the pot, cut off a little piece and taste it. You will want the pasta al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, rub it with a light layer of olive oil. When the pasta is done, remove the pasta and place on the cookie sheet.



Grab a large bowl and add the 2 containers of ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 2 eggs and the ½ cup minced parsley. Whisk the ingredients together until well combined. Add 1 teaspoon of salt stir well.

Preheat the oven to 350. Grab your 13x9-baking pan and the cooked pasta, tomato sauce, meat, and ricotta mixture. Remove the leaves of basil from their stems.

Lets assemble! Here is a step-by-step process:
    1.    Pour a light layer of pasta sauce on the bottom of the baking pan.
    2.    Place 3 pieces of pasta next to each other on top of the pasta sauce.
    3.    Dollop 2-3 large spoon full of the ricotta mixture over the pasta.
    4.    Spread evenly with a rubber spatula.
    5.    Evenly spread 2-3 large spoon full of the meat on top of the ricotta.
    6.    Place 10 or so basil leafs on top of the meat.
    7.    Evenly spread 1 cup of the mozzarella over the basil leafs.
    8.    Evenly spread ½ cup of Parmesan.
    9.    Place 3 pieces of pasta over the Parmesan.
    10.    REPEAT steps 1 through 9.

Check out the Photos for the Steps 1- 9.









Once you have made 2 layers of the steps 1-9 listed above, and you have 3 pieces of pasta on the top of the Lasagna, the final step is: Spread 2-3 large spoon full of pasta sauce on the top, covering all the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.



Cook in the oven for 35 minutes. Cover the top with aluminum foil and cook for additional 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes (letting the lasagna cool will make it so much easier to cut and serve, all the juices and cheese will settle).  Serve with some warm garlic bread and a green salad.

Buon Appetito!

Kathryn and Dash, the women behind the Yankee Crafty B*tch blog, bring you the best in the world of crafts, food, sewing and gardens — all on the resourceful Yankee budget. So kick back, check out their posts, and get your craft on.

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