Written by : Rediet Melesse

Quick and easy dinner recipes are usually a go-to for most busy families, but don’t let this recipe scare you away! It’s the perfect family activity for a hands-on cooking session that can help create fun and lasting memories during this quarantine period.

Not only is cooking with your kids fun, but it can help them develop skills such as reading, measuring, cooking safety, navigating the kitchen for cooking utensils and gadgets, following step by step instructions and building confidence as they take pride in creating something with you.

In this blog post, Rediet has shared her family recipe for “everything from scratch lasagna” and we hope you will give it a try!

The Sauce

Ingredients:

¼ cup Olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 stalk of celery, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic 

1 lb. lean ground beef 

1/3 cup dry white wine

8 oz. can tomato paste

2 cups meat or vegetable stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fresh herbs chopped (basil and parsley) 

Instructions:

In a heavy saucepan, cook chopped vegetables in olive oil over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft.

Add the meat and cook until it turns brown.

Add the tomato paste. Cook until caramelized and fragrant (it should smell sweet in about 3 minutes).  

Add the wine to deglaze the brown bits from the bottom of the pot and cook until the liquid has almost evaporated.

Add the stock, salt & pepper and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently.

Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the fresh herbs and take of the heat.

The Ricotta 

Ingredients:

½ gallon Whole Milk

1 teaspoon Salt

¼ cup White Vinegar

Instructions:

Line a strainer with a cheesecloth, and set inside a large bowl.

In a stainless steel saucepan add the milk and salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.

Stir in the vinegar and remove the pan from the heat.

Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes or until the milk curdles and separate, then pour into the strainer and let drain for 20 minutes or longer (the longer you strain it the thicker it gets).

White Sauce (Béchamel)

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

4 cups whole milk

Instructions:

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat, add the flour and whisk for about 30 seconds.

Reduce heat down to low and slowly whisk in the milk until well combined. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more milk until it turns into a creamy consistency.

Increase heat to medium and continue cooking sauce while stirring occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes) and coats the back of your wooden spoon.

The Noodles 

I used my Philips Pasta Maker to make whole wheat lasagna noodles. I followed the machines instructions to make 8 regular sheets and cooked it in salty water for 2 minutes. You can use 9 sheets of store bought noodles and cook it in salty water following the instructions on the box.

Assembly

Ingredients:

1 large Egg

½ cup Parmesan

Black pepper to taste

Optional: Your choice of fresh herbs (basil and parsley) chopped 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°F

Mix the ricotta with one egg, ¼ cup of Parmesan, black pepper and your choice of fresh chopped herbs (parsley and basil).

In a 9” X 13” casserole dish start by ladling some sauce on to the bottom of the dish, then cover with 2 homemade or 3 store bought lasagna noodles.

Layer ricotta mix, sauce, béchamel and a little Parmesan then cover with noodles.

Repeat 2 more times. Cover the top liberally with sauce and the remainder of the Parmesan cheese. 

Bake for 45 minutes. The top should be slightly brown and bubbly.

Let it rest for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle with some fresh herbs and/or Parmesan before serving.

Enjoy!

Did you try this recipe? Let us know how it turned out in the comments below!