by Michelle Biancardi

With a name like Biancardi, I’m asked about my family’s culinary traditions quite often. In the past I’ve been sheepishly limited to admitting very little Italian-cooking knowledge, but lately I’ve been stepping into the kitchen to change that, guided by the cookbook of my Great-Grandma Biancardi, the 1950’s “Talisman Italian Cookbook” by Ada Boni.

I began cooking Boni’s “Lasagna Old Style” this past summer and have since been introducing various tweaks and twists to incorporate my personal flavor preferences. My version, which I will call Lasagna Biancardi, takes on a Southern Italian flavor profile – more heavily reliant on tomatoes and ricotta than its Northern, béchamel-based counterpart.

Our lasagna will be comprised of five main components:

1. Sauce
2. Meat
3. Ricotta
4. Oven-ready lasagna noodles
5. Mozzarella slices

You’ll find the recipe for how to make or prepare each of these components and how to assemble them detailed in the following pages.

Though a time investment, lasagna is the perfect recipe to get your friends or family into the kitchen. Not only will this recipe produce enough for 10 – 12 generous servings, but it also makes for a great Sunday meal prep. You can split the dish with a friend, and you’ll both have lasagna for days. Enjoy!

Lasagna Biancardi
Preparation Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yields 10 – 12 generous servings

 

Component #1: Sauce
This element needs to simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, so start here! 

Equipment
High-rimmed sauce pan

Ingredients
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– 1/2 large sweet onion, minced (Note: you’ll be using the other half for the meat component, so mince the whole thing while you’re at it!)
– 3 garlic cloves, minced
– 3 15 oz cans crushed tomatoes
– 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
– 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
– 1 tsp oregano
– 2 bay leaves
– 8-10 leaves of basil, chopped into thin strips
– salt and pepper (to taste)

 

1. Warm the olive oil in a high-rimmed sauce pan on low to medium heat. Add the onion and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and saute for about 1 minute, being careful not to let the garlic burn.
2. Add the crushed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, oregano, and bay leaves. Stir the sauce to combine ingredients.
3. Cover the sauce with lid and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour on medium to low heat (the sauce should be just shy of bubbling). Stir and check for flavor periodically, adding salt and pepper to taste.
4. About 5 – 10 minutes before you are ready to assemble your lasagna, add chopped basil to pasta sauce and mix to incorporate the flavors.
5. Remove the bay leaves from the sauce just before assembly.

 

Component #2: Meat
While the sauce is simmering, here’s how you wow the crowd.

Equipment
Medium frying pan, wooden spoon

Ingredients
– 1/2 tbsp olive oil
– 1/2 large sweet onion, minced
– 2 garlic cloves, minced
– 1.5 lbs mild Italian sausage
– 1 tbsp oregano

1. As instructed above, warm the olive oil in a frying pan on low to medium heat. Add the onion and simmer for 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute.

1. Add the Italian sausage and oregano. Break up the sausage with a stiff wooden spoon so it’ll be crumbly when cooked. Cook the sausage until the meat is browned through and slightly crispy (Note: You may need to spoon out some of the excess fat while meat is cooking to allow meat to crisp up.).
2. Take the meat off the heat. Cover a large dinner plate with a paper towel, and transfer the sausage onto the plate to drain excess fat.

 

Component #3: Ricotta
 This creamy filling makes our lasagna “Southern-style.”

Equipment
Large mixing bowl, small pot

Ingredients
-15 oz part skim ricotta
-3 tbsp shredded whole-milk mozzarella
-3 tbsp shredded Parmesan-Romano
-1 large egg, beaten
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp ground black pepper
-8-10 basil leaves, chopped into thin strips

1. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients until they are fully incorporated.

1. Transfer the mixture to a small pot on the stove and heat it through, stirring periodically. (Note: This will ease your effort spreading the ricotta during lasagna assembly.)

 

Lasagna Assembly
You’re almost there!  You’ll be making three layers, so divide each of the components accordingly. Reserve a quarter of Meat and Sauce for serving.

Equipment
9×13 casserole dish – or a casserole dish that fits in your microwave, sauce pan (from Component #1)

Ingredients
– 12 oven-ready lasagna noodles (or enough for three layers in your casserole dish)
– 16 oz mozzarella log, cut into very thin slices
-3/4 cup shredded whole-milk mozzarella
-Sauce
-Meat
-Ricotta
Optional garnish: chopped basil and additional shredded mozzarella

1. Preheat your oven to 375F.
2. Spread a light layer of Sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish. This provides moisture to help prevent your oven-ready lasagna noodles from becoming crispy in the oven.
3. Layer oven-ready lasagna, Ricotta, mozzarella, Meat, and then Sauce in three layers. Spoon some of the remaining sauce around the edges of the dish, making sure the oven-ready lasagna is sufficiently covered in sauce.
4. Cover the assembled lasagna with damp paper towels, and cook in microwave on high for 10 minutes (Note: This step softens the ‘oven-ready lasagna.’).
5. Remove the paper towels, and spread the shredded mozzarella evenly over the top layer of the lasagna.
6. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Transfer the lasagna to your oven, and bake for 25 minutes.
7. Combine remaining meat and sauce on stove in sauce pan to create a meat-sauce, and simmer it
8. on low heat.
9. After 25 minutes, remove the aluminum foil from the lasagna and bake it for 5 more minutes, allowing the shredded mozzarella to brown.
10. It’s ready! Remove your lasagna from the oven and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. After plating, spoon meat-sauce over each serving. If you desire, garnish each plate with basil and additional shredded mozzarella.