PREPARATION:

COOKING TIME: 

PORTIONS:

INGREDIENTS:

The meatballs:

  • 500g of minced veal
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup of milk
  • 1/4 cup of Stefano’s olive oil
  • Salt

The sauce:

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, degermed, finely chopped
  • 4 c. tablespoon of olive oil
  • 3 jars Stefano’s tomato basil sauce or Italian tomatoes diced, crushed by the robot
  • Salt, fresh basil to taste

Assembly:

  • 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
  • 8 hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
  • 3 cups of shredded mozzarella

PREPARATION:

For the sauce:

  1. In a saucepan, melt onion and garlic in oil. 
  2. Add tomato coulis and bring to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat and simmer gently.
  4. Mix all ingredients to make meatballs. Shape the meatballs into the size of a small olive. Elena smears her hands with olive oil to facilitate the process.
  5. Add the meatballs to the sauce as you go. Add salt. Add chopped fresh basil at the end of the cooking time. 
  6. Let the sauce simmer gently, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The sauce with the meatballs can be prepared 2 days in advance.
  7. Cook the fresh pasta according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the pasta is handmade, cook it for 20 seconds in boiling salted water. No more than 3 at a time.
  8. As soon as cooked, remove pasta and refresh in a large bowl of ice water. 
  9. Pat pasta dry on big dishcloths without touching.

Assemble:

  1. Generously butter a Emile Henry 42.5 cm X 28 (16 ½ pcs X 10 1/2) baking dish.
  1. Pour a little sauce, without the meatballs, to cover the bottom. 
  2. Arrange the pasta, overlapping slightly. Spread the sauce over the meatballs.
  3. Divide the chopped hard-boiled eggs, Parmesan cheese and mozzarella.
  4. Repeat to make 5 rows, the hard-boiled eggs, parmesan and mozzarella will be divided into 5 parts.
  5. Finish with the tomato sauce, eggs, parmesan and mozzarella.

*The lasagna can be prepared 2 days in advance and refrigerated.

  1. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350° F) until the cheese is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling. 
  2. While baking, use a fork to loosen the edges of the lasagna to allow the sauce to rise to the surface. Prick the surface of the lasagna here and there.

 

  1. Note: For a vegetarian lasagna, replace the meatballs with cooked and dried spinach or other vegetables of your choice and crumbled ricotta cheese.

*You can also freeze the lasagna well wrapped. 

To serve, leave it on the counter for 30 minutes. Cook at low heat 160°C (300°F) for 1 hour. You can check if it is cooked by sticking a knife in the middle of the lasagna. It should be very hot. The sauce should be bubbling all around.