Three Cheese Lasagna

I now understand why having a baby is a big deal. Before entering parenthood myself, I would always congratulate people on their new arrival, but in reality, I was thinking how funny it is that we applaud people for having sex and procreating. “Good job getting one past the goalie!”

And sometimes, greeting a new baby could get me a little depressed, seeing one more American consumer enter the world, filling our landfills with diapers of poo consisting of over-priced powdered milk, Gerber puffs, and Happy Meals, being carted around in massive SUVs, a plastic and disposable upbringing to create a plastic and disposable adult lifestyle. Yes, I thought things like this while congratulating people on their new arrivals. Boo.

But I get it now. It’s a child. It’s hope and promise and innocence in a tiny 7 pound package. It’s a product of love that will continue to love and be loved all through its years. I understand now. And when you bring that baby home, the culmination of all the anticipation, you are brimming with happiness, excitement, anxiousness, and adoration.

The last thing you are thinking about is making dinner. So when a local blog friend recently had twin girls to add to her flock of four other kids (or is it five??), all I could think is ‘this woman needs a pan of lasagna.’

Is there anything more comforting than lasagna? Pasta, cheese, sauce, all layered together, warm and cozy and bubbly – and fit to feed a crowd. When baking bread, I have my own little rule of three: a loaf to keep, a loaf to save, and a loaf to give away. I decided to apply my rule of three to lasagna: a pan to keep, a pan to save, and a pan to give away.

When I found myself buying six containers of ricotta, I realized this may be a little more work than just making three loaves of bread. Still, when I got home with my groceries, took out my biggest pots and bowls and started mixing. It ended up being an all-day project, as I had to wait until Ben went to bed to actually assemble it, but if I ever complained, I remembered thinking it would’ve taken much longer if I had six kids, including baby twin girls.

So Pam, this one’s for you. A sincere congratulations on your new additions, wishing you a lifetime of big raucous family meals that celebrate the energy and bounty of life – the best kind of meals, if you ask me.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to wash some dishes.


Three Cheese Lasagna
I grew up on no-ricotta lasagna – straight up mozz, meat, and noodles. But I had to try this recipe, as 582 positive Epicurious reviewers can’t be wrong – it’s gooooood. I used elk burger and our house Italian sausage, but obviously beef and store-bought sausage work just as well.

SAUCE
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped carrots
2 tablespoons minced garlic
8 ounces lean ground beef
6 ounces bulk Italian sausage
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

LASAGNA
15 lasagna noodles (about 12 ounces)
2 15-ounce containers part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, squeezed dry
2 large eggs
4 3/4 cups grated mozzarella cheese (about 1 1/4 pounds)

FOR SAUCE:Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and garlic; sauté until softened, about 12 minutes. Add beef and sausages to pan; sauté until cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer until flavors blend and sauce measures about 5 cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Cool.

FOR LASAGNA:Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Drain; cover with cold water.

Combine ricotta and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Mix in spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs.

Drain pasta and pat dry. Spread 1/2 cup sauce over bottom of 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Place 5 noodles over sauce, overlapping to fit. Spread half of ricotta-spinach mixture evenly over noodles. Sprinkle 2 cups mozzarella cheese evenly over ricotta-spinach mixture. Spoon 1 1/2 cups sauce over cheese, spreading with spatula to cover (sauce will be thick). Repeat layering with 5 noodles, remaining ricotta-spinach mixture, 2 cups mozzarella and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Arrange remaining 5 noodles over sauce. Spread remaining sauce over noodles. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese evenly over lasagna. (Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake lasagna 40 minutes; uncover and bake until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving.