Copied from Fido Cooking
Hello All!
I was preparing supper tonight for some young clients, and discovered to my 
astonishment that my recipe for Lasagna al Forno wasn't in Meal-Master. That 
must mean that I've never posted it here. This is a major error, and I am 
correcting it forthwith. I ought to warn you that although the recipe is 
really pretty easy, it isn't quick. However, if anyone makes this once, I 
will be astonished if it doesn't become your standard Lasagna. I developed 
the recipe from an excellent one I found in "European Peasant Cookery" by 
Elisabeth Luard - which I beleive _is_ available in the States, though under 
another name. However I've made so many changes (I like to think 
improvements) that I don't think it fair to Ms Luard to attribute it to her.
=== Cut ===
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.04
      Title: Lasagna al Forno (Baked Lasagna)
 Categories: Main dish, Pasta, Italian, Beef
      Yield: 8 Servings
MMMMM-------------------HOME MADE LASAGNA FROM------------------------
      1 lb Durum wheat flour
      1 ts Salt
      5 md Eggs
      3 tb Water, more or less
           Polenta for sprinkling
MMMMM----------------------------=OR=---------------------------------
    300 g  Lasagna (bought dry)
MMMMM-----------------FOR THE MEAT SAUCE - RAGU----------------------
      1 lg Onion
      2    Garlic cloves; or more
      4 tb Olive oil
    120 g  Bacon or prosciutto
      1    Chicken liver; (optional)
      2 md Carrots
      1 md Celery stalk
      1 sm Bunch oregan or parsley
      1 lb Lean ground beef
    750 g  Ripe tomatoes; concassee OR
      3 cn Italian plum tomatoes; 340g
      1 tb Tomato puree
    300 ml Stock or white wine
           S&P
MMMMM------------------CHEESE & SPINACH SAUCES-----------------------
    250 g  Spinach; parcooked chopped
     85 g  Butter
     85 g  Flour
      1 l  Milk; **
      2 tb Fresh cream cheese or cream
     60 g  Grated pecorino or gruyere
     60 g  Parmigiano-reggiana; grated
           S&P
           Nutmeg
      1 ts French mustard
      1    Beef stock cube (optional)
           Butter flakes to top
  NB* If using fresh pasta, or pre-cooked dry pasta, use quantity shown
  of milk etc. If using "no-cook" pasta, increase quantity of milk
  somewhat, and make the ragu sloppier too.
    If not using "no-cook" pasta, make it and cook it, leave to drain,
  covered, on towels ready for assembly.
    Start cooking ragu. Chop the bacon or ham, and in a large skillet,
  start cooking it in the olive oil. Meanwhile, peel the onion, garlic
  and carrot. Chop these finely with the cleaned celery and optional
  chicken liver. Wash and chop the herbs. (Dry oregano can be
  substituted). Add the chopped vegetables to the cooking bacon, cover
  and heat a few moments in high heat. When the juices are running, add
  the herbs, and 1/3 of the wine (stock can be substituted if wine is
  unacceptable). Bring to the boil and reduce over high heat. When all
  the liquid is evaporated, add the second third, and repeat with that
  and the final quantity. Microwave note. If the ragu is started in a
  skillet, it can be transferred to a flat open dish and the wine
  evaporated at high heat in a microwave very successfully, with
  minimal attention. Return to skillet for addition of meat etc.
    When all the wine has been added and evaporated, and the vegetables
  almost melted together, raise the heat and add the ground (minced)
  beef, breaking it up and stirring well as you add it. Keeping the
  heat high, brown the meat (and if necessary pour off excess fat). If
  using canned tomatoes, chop them roughly in the can before adding,
  and if using fresh tomatoes which are somewhat lacking in sweetness,
  use a little sugar to sweeten. Fresh tomatoes should be concassee
  (peeled & seeded). Add tomatoes, and tomato puree. Cook for about 40
  minutes.
    Prepare cheese and spinach sauces. Chop thawed or cooked fresh
  spinach finely and leave aside until needed. Melt butter and stir in
  the flour. Cook over low heat for a minute or two, then off the heat,
  very gradually at first, stir in the milk. When all the milk has been
  added, bring to the boil over moderate heat, stirring carefully all
  the time to prevent burning. When boiling, crumble in optional stock
  cube, and season carefully, not forgetting several good grates of
  fresh nutmeg. Stir in cream cheese or cream. Remove from heat. Don't
  forget to use more milk if using "no-cook" pasta, which absorbs
  liquid to become tender.
    Grate the cheeses and mix them carefully together. Add half to the
  white sauce and divide the sauce in two equal parts. To one half, add
  mustard. To the other, add the spinach and stir well in.
    Compose the lasagna.
    In a large rectangular oven proof dish, big enough to hold a
  quarter of the lasagna without much overlapping, ladle half the
  cheese sauce. Cover with 1/4 of the pasta, add half the meat, then
  another layer of 1/3 of the remaining pasta. Add all the spinach,
  then another layer of 1/2 of the remaining pasta. Now add the
  remaining meat, the last layer of pasta and finish with the remaining
  cheese sauce. Smooth well, and sprinkle over the remaining grated
  cheese togather with a few flakes of butter. (If you've got
  everything right, you shouldn't have_anything_ left).
    If using no-cook pasta, it is best to leave the composed dish an
  hour or so before baking, although you can bake right away. Cover
  with foil.
    Place the baking dish in a cold oven and set at 375F 180C.  Bake
  covered for about 35 minutes or longer until bubbling, then remove
  foil and brown for a further 15 minutes or so. The timing is pretty
  variable, depending on how warm everything was when it went in the
  oven, and how thick the baking dish is etc. Rest 10 - 15 minutes in a
  warm place before serving (Saves burnt lips etc.).
  Recipe IMH c/o Georges Home BBS 2;323/4.4
MMMMM
=== Cut ===
All the Best
Ian
--- GoldED 2.50+
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