Guest Blog: Om's Lasagna

There are less than a handful of dishes that I make, that I can say are better than the owner of this blog. Probably 3 at the most. One of those is lasagna. It is also one of my favourite foods. I would think that I would include a small piece with my death row dinner. Again, my sister Jane was my mentor for this.

Sauce:

4 Cloves garlic

2 jars pasata

Oregano

Basil (fresh is best)

Sprinkle of nutmeg

3-4 Cloves

Meatballs (see below)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Add olive oil to pot, with chopped garlic, sautee until brown.  Add all other ingredients, and bring to a slow boil.  Reduce heat to low, and add salt to taste.  Simmer for 2-3 hours.

Meatballs:

1/2 lb of lean ground beef

1/4 lb of ground pork, as lean or not as you like it

1/4 lb of ground veal

Oregano

Salt

1 egg and/or or panko bread crumbs

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix together. You really should use your hands. You just can't get a good mix using a spoon or fork. Some people prefer to use an egg to keep the meatballs from crumbling, but the panko bread crumbs add a nice flavour and texture. Once mixed well, roll into small balls. The diameter should be no more than 1/2". It goes much faster when the T-Rex volunteers to help. He is very good at it. Must having something to do with his tiny hands.

Now, you are ready to assemble the lasagna:

You can have as many layers as you have ingredients, but 4 layers of pasta is about right, especially when you use think noodles:

Layer 1 - Sauce

Layer 2 - Pasta (cover the sauce completely, with only a little bit of overlap)

Layer 3 - Sauce

Layer 4 - Pasta

Layer 5 - Meatballs

Layer 6 - Pasta

Layer 7 - Ricotta cheese

Layer 8 - Pasta

Layer 9 - Sauce

Cover with foil, and place in a preheated over (350). Cook for 1 hour.

Remove tinfoil, and add sliced buffalo mozzerella (thank you Sandra for that change), and put back in oven, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes. Watch carefully, when it has melted, turn on the broiler for 2-4 minutes. When mozzerella starts to brown, remove, and let rest for 10 minutes.