Green Lasagna
Tips on how to get Tasty Layers, Perfectly Cooked Pasta Sheets and the Crispy Edges everyone will fight over
Lasagna season is here and who doesn’t like lasagna?
Layers of meaty, cheesy, saucy, baked pasta
WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT?
Let’s be real lasagna is good piping hot straight from the oven, lasagna is good at room temp, lasagna is even better the next day cold as fuck - as you eat it standing in front of your fridge. I don’t discriminate on Red Lasagna or Green Lasagna because I love a bad bitch either way.
RED vs GREEN
This Green Lasagna is something a little different to the traditional Red Lasagna but fear not she is indeed still a banger.
Traditional Lasagna is composed of
Pasta Sheets
Ragu
Bechamel
Grated Pecorino/Parmesan
My Green Lasagna is composed of
Pasta Sheets
Milk Braised Ragu
Green Bechamel
Grated Pecorino/Parmesan
Fresh Mozzarella
TASTY LAYERS
These layers are important because this defines how good your Lasagna will be in the end. It’s vital to focus on each layer with thought and care as we season and taste every element of this lasagna. Thinking about how we layer this will affect the final product.
We want to make sure the ragu has had time to sit and develop flavor, be salty enough and easy to spread; above all else it needs to taste good.
Bottom Layer
Ragu, Bechamel, Pasta Sheet
Every Layer After
Pasta sheet, Ragu, Bechamel, Pecorino, Mozzarella
PERFECTLY COOKED PASTA SHEETS
I see people just laying raw uncooked pasta sheets down in the lasagna pans. This will leave a weird texture with the pasta, it might not fully cook the sheet (properly) and is lazy very. Pre-blanch all your pasta sheets in salty boiling water before assembling your lasagna.
CRISPY EDGES
The crispy edge is something we fight over in my house. The crispiness will add another element and texture into your lasagna. While this is not a necessary step it will be the detail that sets your lasagna apart from everyone else’s. We all want the nuance between soft, meaty, cheesy and then adding a crunchy bite in there just makes the eating experience even better. ON GOD!
INGREDIENTS
32oz Green Bechamel (recipe here)
Pasta Sheets (A LOT)
32oz Milk Braised Ragu (recipe here)
6oz Marinara
16oz Pecorino Romano Grated
8-16oz Fresh Mozzarella Diced
COOKWARE/UTENSILS
Sharp Knife
Cutting Board
Pasta Sheeter
Large Pot
Medium Sauce Pot
Lasagna Tray
Microplane
Large Spoon
INSTRUCTIONS
The prep starts the day before it makes assembly much easier. We start by making the Marinara, Ragu and Bechamel the day before.
Assembling our Ragu, Bechamel, Pasta Sheets, and Cheese(s) starts us on this journey
Blanch the pasta sheets in boiling salted water for a quick par blanch (1 minute), set aside
Start with bechamel on the bottom and layer a scoop of ragu on top- spreading that around lightly covering up the sauces with the first pasta sheet
We continue to assemble the Lasagna with Bechamel, Ragu, Pecorino Romano, Fresh Mozzarella (IN THAT ORDER) and repeat until our pan is full, layering béchamel on the top sheet- protecting the pasta
The trick to getting the crispy edges is having excess pasta sheet sticking out of the pan. I also like to lay a sheet of pasta that’s 1 inch smaller than the pan on each side. This way you have more layers rise up and get crispy inside the lasagna tray
Bake at 375F covered with foil for about 30-45 minutes
Remove foil and roast for 10-15 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Feel free to broil this bad boy to get even more crispiness
It’s important to be patient and let this sit for 15-20 minutes allowing everything to set nicely
Tuck in and enjoy!
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE