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Manly Man Lasagna (Emeril Lagasse)
 
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Prep Time: 75 Minutes
Cook Time: 240 Minutes
Ready In: 315 Minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound hot italian sausage, removed from casing
4 (25-ounce) jars tomato sauce (recommended: emeril's kicked up tomato sauce)
3 1/2 pounds spinach, stemmed and washed
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound portobello mushroom caps, sliced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
parmesan bechamel sauce, recipe follows
30 ounces ricotta cheese
2 cups grated fontina
3 cups grated mozzarella
3 pounds dried lasagna sheets (1-ounce per sheet)
5 cups grated parmesan
bolognese sauce, recipe follows
Directions:
1. Set a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the pan and once the oil is hot, crumble the sausage into the pan. Cook the sausage, stirring often until well browned on all sides, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the tomato sauce to the pan and allow the sauce to simmer, for 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook for 2 minutes. Drain in a fine mesh strainer, pressing with a large spoon to release as much water as possible. Finely chop and set aside until ready to assemble the lasagna.
3. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and season with the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender and have given off their liquid, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Set aside until ready to assemble the lasagna.
4. In a bowl, combine the 2 cups of the Bechamel sauce, the ricotta, Fontina, and mozzarella cheeses. Set aside until ready to assemble the lasagna.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 15 1/2 by 11 1/2 by 4-inch roasting pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
6. Ladle 4 cups of the Italian sausage-tomato sauce into the bottom of the pan. Lay 6 lasagna sheets across the top of the tomato sauce. Spread 1/2 of the spinach and half of the mushrooms over the top of the pasta, and pour 3 cups of the Parmesan Bechamel over the mushrooms and spinach. Sprinkle 1 cup of the Parmesan over the bechamel, as well as 1/2 the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with another layer of 6 lasagna sheets. Place 1/2 of the bolognese over the lasagna and top with another layer of pasta. Pour another 4 cups of the tomato sausage sauce over the pasta, and top with another layer of pasta. Spread the remaining spinach, mushrooms and bechamel over the pasta and sprinkle another cup of Parmesan over top. Top with the remaining ricotta cheese mixture and lay another row of pasta over the cheese mixture. Spread the remaining bolognese sauce over the pasta and top with another row of pasta sheets. Pour the remaining tomato sausage sauce over the pasta.
7. Wrap the top of the roasting pan with aluminum foil and set the roasting pan on a baking sheet. Bake covered for 1 1/2 hours, or until the pasta sheets are cooked through. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and remove and discard the aluminum foil. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the top of the tomato sauce, and return the pan to the oven. Bake until the cheese is well browned, about 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and allow lasagna to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
9. Parmesan Bechamel Sauce:
10. 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
11. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12. 8 cups milk
13. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
14. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
15. 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
16. 2 cups grated Parmesan
17. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, to make a light roux, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, slowly add the milk and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until thickened, 5 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and Parmesan and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the bechamel until ready to assemble the lasagna.
18. Yield: about 2 quarts
19. Bolognese Sauce:
20. 2 tablespoons butter
21. 12 ounces bacon, diced
22. 8 ounces ham, diced
23. 1 pound ground veal
24. 1 pound ground pork
25. 2 pounds ground beef
26. 3 cups chopped onions
27. 1 cup finely chopped carrots
28. 1 cup finely chopped celery
29. 1 pound thinly sliced button mushrooms
30. 3 tablespoons minced garlic
31. 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
32. 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
33. 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
34. 2 cups dry white wine
35. 4 cups chicken stock
36. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
37. 1 cup chicken livers, finely chopped
38. 1 cup heavy cream
39. 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
40. In a large Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and ham and cook until caramelized and light brown, about 15 minutes. Add the ground meats and cook over high heat until well browned, stirring constantly, about 20 minutes.
41. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, cloves and nutmeg to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and stock and simmer over medium-high heat until sauce is thickened and flavorful, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper.
42. Add the chicken livers to the pot and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and parsley, and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Set aside until ready to assemble lasagna.
43. Yield: about 3 quarts
By RecipeOfHealth.com