Posted by: Deborah 10-12-99 11:41 AM
Stephen Schmidt's Lasagna
Source: Master Recipes by Stephen Schmidt
12 ounces lasagna noodles
1 gallon water
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon salt
3 cups prepared meat sauce, your favorite, preferably made with sausage
3 cups cream sauce, see below
3 cups (about 12 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
Preheat oven to 425° F.
Select an 8x14 or 10x12 baking dish between 2 and three inches deep and oil pan with olive oil.
Boil lasagna noodles in 1 gallon water mixed with 2 tablespoons salt and 1 tablespoon salt; noodles should be cooked just until they are no longer crunchy at center; they must remain firm, or baked lasagna will be mushy and pasty.
Drain noodles in colander and rinse with cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
Spoon a thin layer of meat sauce into prepared baking dish.
Add a layer of lasagna noodles, overlapping them slightly and folding them back at ends if they are too long for dish.
Cover with half of remaining meat sauce and 1/3 of cream sauce, then sprinkle on half of mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.
Repeat with a second layer of noodles, using up all meat sauce and mozzerella and top with a third and final layer of noodles.
Completely cover with remaining cream sauce, sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan, and dot with butter.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until edges are bubbling, and top is lightly browned.
Let lasagna rest for 10 minutes after removing from oven so that it can firm up, then cut into squares and serve from pan.
Cream Sauce:
3 cups milk
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup plus three tablespoons flour
1/3 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
Warm milk.
Melt butter over low heat in a heavy 2 quart saucepan.
Add flour and stir into a smooth paste.
Cook for three minutes until thickened, being careful not to let it brown.
Add very warm milk all at once, and beating with a wire whip, cook until thickened.
Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.