Lasagna

For the major holidays growing up we would always either do ravioli or lasagna. I shared our ravioli recipe with you last Easter, so it is only fitting I share the lasagna one for Christmas. My grandmother's handwritten notes were so cryptic ("use back of Barilla box except do XYZ and ABC differently") on this one that I had to do some major reworking to get it to the point of sharing online - and even then it is still a bit willy-nilly.

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LASAGNE

Makes ~12 servings

16 (+) No-Boil Lasagna Noodles (as a family we prefer Barilla)

1 lb (16 oz) Ricotta (In the States they only come in a 15 oz container - just use that and don't worry about the extra oz)

1 lb (16 oz) Mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, grated

1 Egg

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

Pepper, to taste

~5 cups Red Sauce (exact quantity is unknown)

1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, grated

~1 cup Mozzarella, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C)

In a stand mixer, add the ricotta, mozzarella, pecorino romano, egg, nutmeg and pepper and mix on medium high until combined.

In a 9x13 pan ladle out ~1 cup of the red sauce and spread evenly.

Layer 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce. It is ok if they overlap slightly.

Take 1/3 of the cheese mixture and gently spread the cheese mixture until it covers the noodles.

Ladle ~1 cup of the red sauce and spread evenly.

Repeat until you have 3 layers. Then after you add the last noodles, add one more cup of red sauce, 1/4 cup of pecorino romano, and then cover the top with ~1 cup of mozzarella (I typically use closer to 1.5 cups, but Grammie says 1/2 cup.)

Layers should look like this starting from the bottom:

Red Sauce

Noodles/Cheese/Red Sauce

Noodles/Cheese/Red Sauce

Noodles/Cheese/Red Sauce

Noodles

Red Sauce

Pecorino Romano

Mozzarella

Cover with aluminum foil and place in the hot oven.

Bake at 375 F (190 C) for 50-60 minutes. Then take aluminum foil off and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Let the lasagna sit for about 15 minutes before serving.