Best 6 Kims Lasagna Recipes

DAVE GROHL'S BADASS LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat the oil and butter in a large flame-proof pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, celery, carrots and bay leaves and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 10 minutes.
• Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the plant-based ground beef alternative and break up with a fork if necessary. Add the tomato paste and marinara sauce and cook until bubbly, about 2 minutes.
• Splash in the red wine and cook until it has evaporated. Remove the bay leaves, then pour in the broth and add the nutmeg, 3 pinches of salt and a sprinkle of pepper.
• Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water if dry, until the sauce has darkened and thickened and all the flavors have infused, about 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) with a rack in the center. Grease an 8-by-12-inch broiler-safe baking dish or lasagna pan with butter.
• Spoon a thin layer of sauce into the bottom of the pan. Top with a layer of 3 pasta sheets, followed by a third of the remaining sauce and a third of the mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat the layers with the pasta, sauce and cheeses twice more until you have 3 layers in total.
• Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the lasagna is bubbling and the cheese is melted, about 25 minutes.
• Remove the foil and turn the oven to broil, keeping the lasagna on the center rack. Cook to crisp the top, being careful not to let it burn, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• Let cool for 15 minutes. Then it's ready to eat.

KIM'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• Brown sausage and ground beef with onion and garlic in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, cooking and stirring until meat is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and discard grease. Stir tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, Italian-style crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, 2 tablespoons parsley, brown sugar, salt, Italian seasoning, black pepper, fennel seeds, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese into meat mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer sauce for at least 1 hour (up to 6 for best flavor). Stir occasionally.
• Place lasagna noodles into a deep bowl and cover with very hot tap water; let soak for 30 minutes.
• Beat egg in a bowl and stir ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and nutmeg into egg until thoroughly combined.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Cover bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 cup sauce. Layer 4 soaked lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, 1/3 of the shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese in the dish. Repeat layers twice more, ending with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cover dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake until lasagna noodles are tender and casserole is bubbling, about 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese topping is lightly browned, 15 to 20 more minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

SPINACH-ARTICHOKE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Boil a kettle of water (an electric kettle works great here).
• Meanwhile, heat a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add the olive oil and artichoke hearts and cook, stirring occasionally, until the artichoke hearts fall apart, become jammy and start to brown at the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper, and stir until considerably wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and return the saucepan to the stove (no need to wash it out).
• Make the béchamel sauce: In the saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Still whisking constantly, slowly add the half-and-half. Raise the heat to high and bring to a simmer, whisking all the while, then immediately reduce the heat to continue simmering, now whisking occasionally, until the sauce thickens to the consistency of gravy, 10 to 20 minutes. Season generously with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Add half of the béchamel to the bowl with the artichokes. Stir to combine and cool slightly, for about 15 minutes. While the mixture cools, place the lasagna noodles in a large high-sided pan or dish, pour over the recently boiled water from the kettle and let soak until the noodles are softened but not soggy, about 15 minutes. Add the cottage cheese, Parmesan and egg to the artichoke mixture, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
• Assemble the lasagna: In an 8-inch square baking pan or dish, add enough béchamel to thinly coat the bottom. Put down a single layer of lasagna noodles, about 3 noodles, letting the ends rise up the edges of the pan. Spread half of the artichoke mixture evenly over the noodles. Turn the pan 90 degrees and put down another layer of lasagna noodles, again pressing the ends up against the edges of the pan. Spread half of the béchamel evenly over the noodles. Repeat these layers once more with the remaining lasagna noodles, artichoke mixture and béchamel, ending with the béchamel. Evenly sprinkle the mozzarella on top. (At this point, you can cover the lasagna and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours if not baking right away.)
• Bake the lasagna until the sauce is bubbling at the edges (especially in the corners of the pan), and the mozzarella and the exposed ends of the noodles are golden brown and crispy, 15 to 20 minutes. (Add more time if baking directly from the refrigerator.) Let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing so that slices won't collapse when transferred to plates.

MOM'S BEEF LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in the water, tomato sauce and paste, soup mix, oregano, sugar and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes., Spoon 1/2 cup meat sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with 3 noodles and a third of the cottage cheese, mozzarella, meat sauce and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers twice., Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

LASAGNA DELLA CASA

Steps:

• Ragù: Peel and finely mince the carrot. (Optional: use a Japanese mandoline to make thin, even slices before mincing.) Peel and finely mince the red onion. Finely mince the celery rib. Together, these ingredients make up the soffritto base of the ragù.
• Warm the olive oil and butter in a large (6-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the carrot, celery and onion. Gently cook the soffritto until it is deeply browned, about 15-20 minutes. (This may take up to 45 minutes!)Mince the pancetta. Remove the sausage from its casing; add the pancetta, sausage, and ground veal to the saucepan. Increase the heat to medium, break up the sausage and veal with a wooden spoon, and cook until the meats are evenly browned and beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan, about 10-15 minutes.Add the wine and cook until it has reduced completely, making sure you scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Lower the heat and simmer the sauce for at least 3 hours, until the flavors meld and the meats are completely tender. Add stock or water, as needed, if the sauce begins to dry out and stick to the bottom of the pot.
• Pasta: While the ragù simmers, make the pasta sheets and bechamel sauce. (We recommend these handmade pasta sheets, but the lasagna is still very delicious with store-bought noodles.) On a wooden cutting board or clean kitchen counter, combine the two flours and a pinch of salt. Make a well in the center and add the egg yolks and whole egg. Whisk together gently with a fork, then slowly cut the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Add the olive oil and some water, if necessary, to the well. Working from the center, continue until all the wet ingredients have been incorporated into the dough. (There may be some extra flour that can be discarded, depending on the consistency of the wet ingredients.) After the dough has come together into a mass, knead until it is shiny and uniform in texture, about 5-7 minutes. Kneading activates the gluten and gives the pasta a silky, firm bite. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest for at least 1 hour, until you are ready to roll your pasta. (The pasta dough can be made several days in advance, and kept in the refrigerator.)
• After the dough has rested, remove the plastic wrap and temper the dough with a rolling pin or your hands. Using a pasta maker, roll the dough out several times on the thickest setting. Adjust the setting to a medium thickness; continue rolling on increasingly thinner settings until the pasta is medium-thin in thickness. (If the thinnest setting on your machine is 9, roll it to 7; if the thinnest setting on your machine is 1, roll it to 3.) Check the thickness of the pasta by blanching a small piece in boiling water. Trim the sheets into 5" x 10" rectangles and dust lightly with all-purpose or semolina flour, to prevent sticking. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until ready to blanch.
• The quicker alternative method for pasta sheets: In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flours and salt, make a well in the dry ingredients, add the whole egg and egg yolks, and slowly work the dough with the mixer. Add the olive oil and water, if necessary, and slowly knead the dough with the paddle. Once the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, continue to knead the dough with the paddle, 1-2 minutes. Wrap and rest in the same manner as the above.
• Fill a large stock pot with water, season with a generous cup of salt and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Prepare a large bowl with ice water. With a large slotted spoon or mesh strainer, gently lower the pasta sheets, one at a time, into the boiling water. Blanch the sheets for about 45 seconds, until cooked to al dente. Place each sheet of pasta in the ice water. Spread out wax paper or plastic wrap and brush lightly with oil. Once the pasta has cooled completely, remove the pasta from the ice water, gently pat dry and spread onto the prepared wax paper or plastic wrap. The pasta sheets can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours.
• Bechamel: Heat a medium (4-quart) saucepan over low heat. Melt the butter. Add the flour and mix until the flour is evenly absorbed. Continue to stir and cook until the flour begins to thicken and bind with the butter, about 1-2 minutes. Using a whisk, add the cold milk, a little at a time, until all of it has been incorporated. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, and cook until the sauce is smooth and thick enough to thoroughly coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. The bechamel sauce can be made several days in advance and kept in the refrigerator.
• After about 3 hours, check the ragù sauce and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper as necessary. Have the bechamel sauce warm and easily spreadable, and the pasta sheets in easy reach. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium (7" x 11") baking dish or lasagna pan, spread a small amount of bechamel on the bottom. Gently lay a sheet of pasta on top. Spread about a quarter of the ragù sauce on the pasta. Add another sheet of pasta, another layer of bechamel sauce, a sprinkle of Parmesan, and another quarter of the ragù sauce. Repeat the order of the layers, finishing with a layer of pasta spread with bechamel sauce and sprinkled with Parmesan. (The assembled, unbaked lasagna can be made in advance and either refrigerated or frozen, until ready to bake.) Cover with foil and bake for about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes to allow the top to brown and bubble. Remove the lasagna from the oven, and let it rest briefly before serving.

THE BIG LASAGNA

Steps:

• Prepare the ricotta filling: If using fresh spinach, set a large skillet over high heat. (If using thawed frozen spinach, skip to Step 2.) When hot, add 2 tablespoons oil and half the fresh spinach. Season with a pinch of salt and sauté to wilt. Cook until stems are tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and allow to cool in a single layer. Repeat with remaining spinach.
• While spinach cools, combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil and a generous pinch of salt in a large bowl.
• Taking handfuls of the cooled or thawed spinach, squeeze out as much water as possible, then chop finely and add to cheese mixture. Mix thoroughly, then taste and adjust seasoning for salt. (Filling makes about 6 cups.) Cover and set aside until ready to assemble lasagna. (Ricotta filling can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before assembling lasagna.)
• Prepare the béchamel: Set a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add butter. Once butter has melted, whisk in flour, reduce heat to very low and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent browning. After the mixture foams a bit, it will visibly transform - the butter will separate, the bubbles will reduce in size, and the mixture will look like freshly wet fine sand. Whisking vigorously, slowly pour in milk. Increase heat to medium and whisk until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg (if using) to taste.
• Return heat to low. Continue cooking, whisking regularly, for 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce is thick and smooth, with no raw flour flavor. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. If béchamel is lumpy, strain through a fine sieve or purée with an immersion blender. (You'll have about 3 1/2 cups.) Press a piece of parchment or plastic against the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming and set aside until ready to assemble lasagna. (Béchamel can be made up to 1 day in advance, covered directly and refrigerated. Return to room temperature before using.)
• Prepare the lasagna: Position the highest rack in the oven so that it sits about 6 inches below the top. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• If tomato sauce, béchamel and ricotta filling are cold, bring to room temperature or warm them as needed.
• Set a large pot of water over high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Set a large colander in a baking dish and place near stove.
• Season the boiling water generously with salt until it tastes like sea water. Carefully lay one sheet of pasta on the water's surface. Let it be completely immersed in the boiling water, using a slotted spoon to gently it push down if needed, before adding the next sheet. Add two more pasta sheets in this way and cook for about 2 minutes, or until light in color, floppy in texture and completely cooked through. If pasta bubbles above the water's surface, use a slotted spoon to encourage it back in. Use a sieve to gently remove pasta from the water and into the prepared colander. Rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle, then begin assembly. Continue cooking, draining and rinsing pasta two or three sheets at a time as you assemble lasagna.
• Spoon about 3/4 cup béchamel into a 9-by-13-inch metal, glass or ceramic baking pan, and use a rubber spatula or your hands to generously coat bottom and sides of pan with sauce.
• Gently squeezing any remaining water from the pasta, use two or three sheets to entirely cover the bottom of the pan with minimal overlap, and leave ends hanging over sides. (They'll be helpful for sealing the top.) All four sides need not have overhang; two is plenty.
• Crumble about 1/3 of the ricotta mixture evenly over pasta to create foundation, then layer with sheets of pasta from edge to edge of pan. Use kitchen shears to help trim pasta to appropriate size and avoid overlap.
• Spread about 1/3 of the tomato sauce over next layer and cover with pasta.
• Spread about 1 cup béchamel evenly over next layer, sprinkle with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, and cover with pasta.
• Repeat with remaining layers: ricotta, tomato sauce, béchamel and Parmesan, ricotta, tomato sauce, béchamel and Parmesan, following each with a layer of pasta. (If using thicker noodles, you might not be able to fit 8 layers of noodles in the pan. If using store-bought or dried pasta, you can skip the noodle layer between the ricotta and tomato sauce as needed to prevent the lasagna from stretching higher than the top of the pan.)
• For the top, fold overhanging pasta over a whole sheet to create a sealed pasta layer, then spread with remaining béchamel. Gently cover lasagna with a piece of parchment and wrap tightly with foil. Place onto a baking sheet to catch any overflow and bake on prepared rack.
• After 40 minutes, pull lasagna from oven and carefully remove foil and parchment. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella and return to oven until golden brown and bubbling on surface, about 20 minutes.
• Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Leftover lasagna can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 4 days. To freeze, bake 30 minutes but do not brown, then cool, and freeze for up to 4 weeks. Defrost, then sprinkle with mozzarella and bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling on surface.