Lasagna With Basil And Fennel

Recipe Ingredients

1 lb	454g / 16oz	Mozzarella cheese - grated
1		Container ricotta cheese - (15 oz)
1		Egg (large)
1 1/2 cups	219g / 7.7oz	Grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons	45ml	Olive oil
2 cups	125g / 4.4oz	Chopped onions
1 1/2 teaspoons	7.5ml	Fennel seeds
1 1/2 lbs	681g / 24oz	Lean ground beef
2		Spaghetti sauce seasoning with
		Mushroom flavors - (1.5 oz ea)
1		Crushed tomatoes with added puree - (28 oz)
1 cup	237ml	Canned low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup	118ml	Dry white wine
		Freshly-ground balck pepper - to taste
9		No-boil lasagna noodles - (from 8-oz pkg)
2 cups	80g / 2.8oz	Fresh basil leaves - (packed)

Recipe Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix 1 cup mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, egg and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and fennel seeds; saute 5 minutes. Add beef; saute 10 minutes, breaking up meat with fork. Mix in seasoning, then tomatoes, broth and wine. Cover and simmer 8 minutes. Season sauce to taste with pepper.

Spoon 1 1/3 cups sauce over bottom of 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass baking dish. Place 3 noodles over sauce. Drop half of ricotta cheese mixture by tablespoonfuls evenly over. Top with half of basil leaves, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Continue layering with 3 noodles, 2 cups sauce, remaining ricotta cheese mixture, remaining basil, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Finish with 3 noodles, 2 cups sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese (reserve remaining sauce for another use). Cover with foil; place on baking sheet.

Bake lasagna until heated through, about 1 hour. Uncover; let stand 15 minutes. Cut lasagna into squares.

This recipe yields 8 servings.

Source:
Bon Appetit, March 2001

Rating

Average rating:

Unrated, please add a rating

Submit your rating:

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10

Click a star to rate this recipe.