Description
Dr. Ireland’s lasagna recipe is so good that I won a contest with it at the Waikiki Yacht Club. versatile, you can substitute your favorite ingredients and your family will love it.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
In saucepan heat together for 20 minutes
- 2 small cans tomato paste
- 3 small cans tomato sauce
- 2 cans chopped tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped fine or squeezed in garlic press
Grate in food processor and sauté in olive oil:
- 1 large onion
- 2 stalks celery
- 3 carrots grated
When sauté is soft add this to above:
- 2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 6 tbsp parsley flakes or fresh
- 1 large bay leaf
- 2 shots Marsala wine or red wine
- Fennel seeds to taste
For layers
- 1 cup (240 ml) of chopped black olives
- 2 cans of drained mushrooms or 1 cup (240 ml) fresh
Sauté together and drain off grease
- 1/2 lb (225 g) of pork sausage, unseasoned
- 1 lb (450 g) of ground beef OR use turkey or chicken sausage
More for layering
- I large carton cottage cheese or ricotta
- Lasagne noodles
- Frozen baby peas, thawed or frozen spinach thawed and squeezed out. Your choice.
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese to sprinkle on top.
Instructions
- Make the tomato sauce: combine the tomato paste, tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a separate pan over medium heat. Grate the onion, celery, and carrots directly into the pan (or use a food processor). Sauté until soft and translucent, about 8–10 minutes.
- Add the Italian seasoning, parsley, bay leaf, wine, and fennel seeds to the vegetable pan. Stir to combine and cook for a further 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Stir the vegetable mixture into the tomato sauce.
- Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C).
- In a skillet, sauté the pork sausage and ground beef together over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Cook until browned, then drain off the excess fat.
- Cook the lasagne noodles in salted boiling water until just tender, or leave uncooked if you prefer to bake them dry (they will absorb liquid from the sauce).
- If using cottage cheese, stir in a squeeze of lemon juice and a handful of parsley. If using ricotta, simply mix in the parsley. Set aside.
- Assemble the lasagne in a 9×13-inch (or larger) glass baking dish: start with a layer of sauce, then noodles, sauce, cheese mixture, noodles, sauce, peas or spinach, meat, sauce, olives and mushrooms. Finish with a layer of sauce. Dust the top with the grated Parmesan or Romano.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue baking for a further 25 minutes, until bubbling and lightly browned on top. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- The peas and the spinach are both great — use whichever you prefer or have on hand.
- If using cottage cheese, the squeeze of lemon juice brightens it and makes it taste closer to ricotta.
- The low oven temperature (275°F) is intentional: it gives the sauce time to meld without drying out the top layer.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: American Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520