Mixing Bowl

Tarmo Hannula

STACKED Carefully constructed lasagna makes a great dinner.

Mainstream lasagna

By SARAH RINGLER

Despite my attempts over the years to be creative, this basic American lasagna recipe remains my favorite. This version comes from “The College Cookbook” that our mom gave my sister before she went away to college at the University of Nevada in Reno. I was reminded of the recipe when we visited her and her family in Reno two weeks ago. She made the dish the night before, then popped it in the oven for our evening dinner after returning from teaching elementary school. She and I both took after our dad and became teachers.

Lasagna has four essential parts: the meat-vegetable and tomato sauce, the cheese filling, the pasta and the cheese. It is worthwhile to give each part your special attention. I’ll start with the cheese. Mozzarella is commonly used but a nice rich Queso de Oaxaca is even better. It has a creamy flavor and melts perfectly sealing the ingredients together. Get the best pasta you can. You can buy dried lasagna noodles that don’t need boiling but it is not that much work to boil your own to ensure they are cooked enough to absorb the sauce. Just be sure to rinse them in cold water so they don’t stick together.

The meat or vegetable layer with the tomato sauce combines substance and a slightly acidic and sweet flavor. I had some leftover beef that I cooked in the sauce until tender. I used a mixture of tomato sauce and tomato paste to make 2 1/2 cups of liquid. Be sure and taste the sauce and make sure it has a deep tomatoey flavor. Already cooked eggplant and spinach make a good substitute for meat but you might want to add more garlic and some pepper flakes. The sauce should be thick but spreadable.

The cheese filling makes creamy layers that contrast with the tomato sauce and the pasta. Salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese provide the flavor. Ricotta and cottage cheese made with whole milk are recommended.

If you have carefully prepared and tasted each part of the lasagna, once combined, the oven will do the rest. Let the dish sit for 30 minutes before serving. Leftover lasagna can be even better the next day.

Tomato and meat or vegetable filling:

1 pound ground beef, or 2 cups leftover cooked meat or cooked eggplant or spinach 1-2 tablespoons olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 cup onion, minced 1 tablespoon dried basil 2 6-ounce cans tomato paste 1 cup water or water and tomato sauce 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Cheese filling:

3 cups cottage or ricotta cheese 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons parsley 2 beaten eggs 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 10-ounce box lasagna noodles – 8 wide noodles 1 pound grated mozzarella or

Queso de Oaxaca

Heat olive oil until shiny over medium heat then add ground meat or vegetables. Cook until almost done. Add garlic, onions and basil and continue to cook until onions are transparent. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce and water to make 2 1/2 cups. Simmer 1/2 hour. Add parsley. Taste and adjust flavors.

Cook lasagna noodles in plenty of boiling salted water until tender. Drain noodles in a colander and pour cold water over them to keep them from sticking. Set aside.

Beat the eggs then mix with the cheese filling ingredients. Taste and adjust flavors.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a large baking dish, roughly 9 inches by 12 inches with olive oil. Spread about 1/2 cup of sauce over the bottom. Lay a single layer of four cooked lasagna noodles over the bottom on the pan. Cover pasta with 1/2 of the cheese filling, 1/2 of the mozzarella and 1/2 of the tomato sauce. Repeat. Bake 30 minutes. Let stand 30 minutes before cutting. Serves 12.