Sicilian Lasagna

My Sicilian style lasagna is truly one of a kind. Layers upon layers of fresh pasta with savoury meat sauce, and three kinds of cheese. This dish is great to meal prep, portion and freeze for later! Make all the components ahead of time, so you haven’t been in the kitchen all day when guests are arriving!

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to food chopper and finely mince all of the veggies. Remove and set aside.

Step 2

Add the cubed pancetta, and finely mince all the pancetta.

Step 3

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and vegetables, and the tomato paste. Let that sauté until the onion is translucent and the carrots are slightly softened.

Step 4

Add the ground beef and pork, break it all up, and brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 5

Add wine, deglaze and add the milk. Reduce the heat. Simmer until almost all the wine and milk are evaporated. Add the passata and beef broth.

Step 6

Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 2.5 hours until thickened.

Step 7

Mix the ricotta, egg whites, finely chopped spinach, nutmeg, and Parmesan cheese. Season with a bit of pepper. Go easy on the salt. The cheese is pretty salty already. Add a half teaspoon of sugar and mix very well. You don’t want any egg whites unmixed.

Step 8

Preheat oven to 350°F and brush the baking dish with butter on the bottom and all sides.

Step 9

Start with a spoonful of sauce on the bottom. Then layer with your pasta sheets. Do not overlap too much. Spoon a heavy amount of sauce over the pasta, then dollops of ricotta mixture, then a handful of peas, and mozzarella slices. Repeat.

Step 10

End up reaching the top and have your last layer be pasta, and ragu topped with any remaining ricotta, peas, and cover the top with a generous amount of mozzarella.

Step 11

Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet, cover with foil and bake for about 50-60 minutes. Uncover and place back into the oven. Broil on low until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. You will know when the pasta is ready because it will puff up and slightly out of the dish.

Step 12

Let sit for about 20 minutes. I promise, it will still be piping hot when you serve it. If you cut into it right out of the oven, it will fall apart. You want to have all the layers stand up for themselves.