Sicilian Lasagna

Name: Sicilian Lasagna
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 25 min
Cuisine: European, Italian, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 large white onion, chopped chunky; 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped chunky; 1 celery stalk, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, chopped; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 lb lean ground beef; 1 lb ground pork; 4 oz pancetta, cubed; 1 cup dry red wine; 1 cup whole milk; 1 bottle passata sauce; 1 small tin tomato paste; 2 cups no salt added beef broth; Salt and pepper to taste; 2 tubs thick ricotta; 2 eggs, whites only; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon white sugar; 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, squeezed from liquid; 20 thin slices low moisture mozzarella; 1 cup frozen peas; 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 700gr. fresh lasagna sheets; Butter to grease pan

12 steps

Prep:25minCook:3h

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!

Updated at: Wed, 25 Sep 2024 13:59:50 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories1107.5 kcal (55%)

Total Fat55.8 g (80%)

Carbs74.4 g (29%)

Sugars5.2 g (6%)

Protein64.3 g (129%)

Sodium1186.1 mg (59%)

Fiber3.4 g (12%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Instructions

For the Ragu:

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.

For the Cheese Filling:

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.

For Assembly:

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.