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My Mother’s Lasagna

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Quite awhile ago, I received an e-mail from Tiel, a regular reader of this little blog. Tiel asked if I could share a lasagna recipe. What Tiel wants, Tiel gets!

As it happens, lasagna is a dish near and dear to my heart. When I was small, I had the pleasure of enjoying my grandmother’s lasagna on a regular basis. Hearty and bold, my grandmother’s lasagna featured a rich tomato sauce, tiny meatballs and chopped egg. A piece of Nonna’s lasagna was a meal unto itself.

At a certain point, my grandmother stopped making lasagna as regularly. My mother, thank goodness, inherited the lasagna gene and began making it often. As with everything she makes, my mother’s lasagna is flavourful and delicate. While not as rich or substantial as my grandmother’s lasagna, my mother’s has an airy quality to it that makes it unforgettable. It also makes it possible to have more than one piece at one sitting!

As with all great lasagna, my mother’s begins with fresh pasta dough. It is possible, today, to buy some very good quality prepared lasagna noodles. Even so, I recommend using fresh pasta. For those of you already making fresh pasta, I’m sure you’ll agree with me. For those of you that are uninitiated, look at this as an opportunity learn a new life skill!

Once you have the pasta down, the next step is the tomato sauce. Both my mother and grandmother use a tomato sauce that is cooked slowly, over a low flame. The sauce is cooked with meat, usually veal, which gives the sauce depth and richness, but you can certainly use a more basic tomato sauce. Either way, make the sauce yourself as there is nothing better than homemade tomato sauce. At this time of year, you can take advantage of beautifully ripe local tomatoes. Alternatively, you can use canned tomatoes which are usually of a high quality as the tomatoes are canned at their ripest.

With the pasta and tomato sauce at the ready, the other key ingredient for a perfect lasagna is the cheese. My mother uses two kinds of cheese:  mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano. Both should be fresh and grated just before using. We are fans of whole-milk mozzarella, which you should be able to find in well-stocked grocery stores and of course in specialty stores. Parmigiano, often referred to as the "King" of cheese, should be also be fairly easy to find. If it’s not already a staple in your house, consider making it one. A few shavings of Parmigiano on pasta, soup or even salad is heaven. With these three basic elements (pasta, tomato sauce and cheese), you have all that you need to create the best lasagna you’ve ever had.

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My mother’s lasagna, for me, is the very best. I hope you enjoy her recipe!

Ciao!

My Mother’s Lasagna

Treasured family recipe.

For the tomato sauce:

  • 5 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 pounds veal shoulder, bone in, cut into pieces (about 3 to 4 inch pieces – if you don’t feel comfortable cutting the meat yourself, have your butcher do it)
  • 1 large onion or 2 smaller onions, sliced
  • 8 cups tomato puree
  • salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion slices and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
  2. Add the veal and brown for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the meat has been seared on all sides.
  3. Add the tomato puree and increase the heat to high. Bring the mixture just to a boil and then add 2 tablespoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of freshly cracked black pepper. (If you want to add less salt or pepper, feel free to do so. It’s entirely up to your own tastes.)
  4. Stir the sauce well after adding the salt and pepper and then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, for an hour and a half. As the time goes by, your sauce will reduce considerably. If your sauce reduces too much, or is too thick, you may want to add a bit of water. What you’re looking for is a sauce that is smooth but not too thick. It should be deeply red in colour.
  5. After the hour and a half is up, remove the veal from the sauce. Set aside. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings according to your own tastes, adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside to cool while you prepare the pasta dough.

For the pasta:

  1. Use the pasta recipe in my post about Tajarin. Follow steps 1 through 14.
  2. Once you have rolled out all the pasta sheets, lay them flat on floured waxed paper. Dust the tops with flour and cover with a cloth.
  3. Set a large stock pot, filled with water, to boil.
  4. Once the water is boiling, salt the water generously and begin boiling your pasta sheets, one or two at a time.
  5. Boil each pasta sheet for 2 minutes. With a large spoon, remove the pasta sheet and place in a colander to drain for a few seconds. Immediately pick up the pasta sheet and lay flat on a plate. Repeat with all the sheets of pasta.
  6. Once all the pasta sheets have been cooked, you are ready to assemble the lasagna.

To assemble the lasagna:

  • 1-1/2 to 2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 1-1/2 cups freshly grated mozzarella
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a rectangular baking dish or pan (use a pan that’s 12 x 15 with sides that are at least 3 inches high or a similar-sized dish or pan), spread 1 cup of tomato sauce across the bottom of the pan.
  3. Using the cooked lasagna noodles, create a layer over the tomato sauce. If there are any gaps cut off small pieces of from a piece of lasagna noodle that you haven’t used yet to fill in the gaps.
  4. Spread 1/2 a cup of tomato sauce over the noodles.
  5. Sprinkle a 1/4 cup of grated mozzarella and 1/3 of a cup of grated Parmigiano over the sauce.
  6. Repeat with another layer of noodles.
  7. Repeat with 1/2 a cup of sauce and then the mozzarella and Parmigiano.
  8. Continue repeating steps 4, 5 and 6 until you have used your last layer of noodles.
  9. Spread a cup of sauce over the final layer.
  10. Sprinkle any remaining Parmigiano over the sauce (do not sprinkle mozzarella on the final layer).
  11. If you’re using a metal pan, bake the lasagna for 1-1/2 hours, our until the sauce starts to bubble and it becomes golden on top. If you’re using a baking dish, the baking time will likely be less so you’ll only need to bake it for 1 hour or so.
  12. Let the lasagna cool for 10 minutes before digging in. This will allow the lasagna to settle.
  13. Enjoy!

Note:  This lasagna will easily serve 8 to 10 people. You can make it in smaller, disposable pans and then freeze them before baking. To prepare, simply defrost the lasagna and then bake following the directions listed above. Alternatively, you can bake the lasagna, let it cool down completely and then freeze it. To serve, let the lasagna defrost for half an hour at room temperature and then place in a preheated, 325 degree F. oven until heated through.

If you have tomato sauce left over, it can be frozen and used for pasta or pizza. Or you can store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.

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47 Comments

Fabienne

08/17/06 at 4:37 pm

I think i must tell : many thank Tiel ! And i think your Mother’s lasagna is the best recipe !

Julie

08/17/06 at 5:01 pm

THAT is a work of art. Beautiful!

I love your mention of the lasagna gene. In my husband’s family we always talk about who inherited his mother’s pie gene. (Sadly, too few.) But I think a lasagna gene is even better than a pie gene, and it looks like you inherited it. Lucky you!

Guru

08/17/06 at 5:12 pm

Laaaasaaaaaagna!!!!!!! I love it!!! and yours looks great (as always). I wish I were Garfield to jump over it …..

koffiekitten

08/17/06 at 5:22 pm

we ate lasagna today also :)

Tanna

08/17/06 at 5:25 pm

Oh, dear, now I must get a pasta machine/roller. I’ve thought about it for years. You might tip the scales with such a wonder talk about your grandmother and mother’s lasagna. I guess I really should try it.

kristina

08/17/06 at 5:39 pm

From the uninitiated to true Italian cooking… I read your recipe and wondered - where is the ricotta cheese??

Am I wrong in this?

Helen

08/17/06 at 6:01 pm

This must be scrumptious! Thank you so much for posting a treasured family recipe. It always warms my heart when I see family recipes around.

peabody

08/17/06 at 6:04 pm

That looks so good. I could really go for that right now. Too bad I have to work tonight and will be taking a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead.
Definately saving this though!

Nazca

08/17/06 at 6:19 pm

Awww someone beat me to the Garfield gag :-( I had an inspiriation while reading this. I’m going to make an English breakfast lasagne: eggs, bacon, black pudding, pork sausage etc. Not quite as light as your nonna’s but it is true to Nazca’s style :-D
Sweet lasagne!

Jennifer

08/17/06 at 7:01 pm

Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous.

Tea

08/17/06 at 8:57 pm

This reminds me of the lasagne recipe I wheedled out of my friend’s 80-year-old aunt who lives in Rome–it was one of the best things I ever tasted. You’re right on the fresh pasta, it makes all the difference. And I like how there are so many layers and yet it is light, not like the glopped down overly cheesey lasagnes that are so common.

Thank you for sharing such family treasures!

Kat

08/17/06 at 9:01 pm

mmm, this looks great!

Bea at La Tartine Gourmande

08/17/06 at 9:26 pm

How can one not love lasagna?? Especially if it is a family’s recipe? Beautiful!

Greg

08/17/06 at 10:05 pm

Mama Mia!! That look so good.

tiel S-K

08/18/06 at 1:17 am

Thank you thank you. Now I have an actual recipe to follow instead of my mother in law’s recipe of ‘Alora, I just use this and some of that and put it all together.’ I promise to try it out…maybe even this weekend for the Italian cugini! I’l send you a photo.
ciao

Meeta

08/18/06 at 1:39 am

Ivonne, this time I have to ask you to do me a favor. Would you thank your mum for me! LOL! Lasagne is a such a fave here at our place and my son, Soeren, can eat plates full of the stuff. I have made many different types of lasagne, but a simple/regular lasagne is always the best!
Hugs to your mum!

Anni

08/18/06 at 1:52 am

Brava! Bellissima!
True Cucina Rustica!
Do you make your own tomato purée or use canned San Marzano? I like to have Pomi tomato brands in my pantry when our home canned tomatoes from the garden have been well used.

Thank you and your Mom for sharing the family recipe.

Tootles,
Anni :-)

Gabriella

08/18/06 at 2:10 am

that is one of the most beautiful lasagnas I have ever seen.

I finally got around to updating my links on my blog and added yours to my favorites.

xo Gabriella

Anne

08/18/06 at 7:27 am

When the lazagna picture popped up first on the blog entry I did a Garfield, I about ate the computer screen! Ah, I cannot make pretty lazagna to save my life. And making the pasta from scratch? Boy, you mean like getting back into actually making my pie and quiche crusts again? Ai! Ai! Ai! — just send me a piece in the mail please.

Megan

08/18/06 at 7:41 am

I’m with Anne…send me a piece, too! I had to make a promise to myself while I read this - I WILL make my own pasta…I WILL make my own pasta… This looks too good to pass up.

tiel S-K

08/18/06 at 7:50 am

It’ me again, Tiel. I showed my husband..good Italian man and all that. And he was very impressed that there was no bechamel sauce! He hates bechamel. He was super impressed with the chopped up egg, something that his mama also does.
It really is a food for all seasons.
YES, I’M MAKING IT. YUMMMMO.

Clivia

08/18/06 at 8:08 am

Mmmm, that looks good! It is getting cooler here so I can try making my own soon… Some lasagna in the freezer is a true life-saver on a late afternoon when you return hungry from work!

Jessica

08/18/06 at 8:39 am

What a beautiful lasagna! I think you just changed my opinion of lasagna, and it’s potential! I usually think of lasagna as a winter dish - heavy and sleep-inducing, but this looks light and summery!

rebekka

08/18/06 at 8:40 am

ooooh bless your heart! My fancy-shmancy All Clad Lasagna pan that I got when I got married last year has yet to be used…I think it’s very lonely and I’ve been waiting for a really good, authentic recipe!

Lisa

08/18/06 at 9:18 am

Holy crap, I’m starving all of a sudden!! And drooling!!! And why isn’t there an oven with all the ingredients I need here at work right now?? Bah!

Sue Vancil

08/18/06 at 9:51 am

Oh, how right you are that homemade pasta is the best. And your Mother’s lasagna recipe does look like the best, also. We got a pasta machine years ago and Mark and I make homemade pasta and lasagna for our annual Christmas meal. The noodles are so tender - no comparison with store-bought. I also enjoyed your entries on the food of the Piemonte region! Learned some good tips for cooking and drying our pasta. Thanks!

BNA

08/18/06 at 9:55 am

That photograph is very nearly a religious experience!

Is there a meat you would recommend as a substitute if one doesn’t eat veal?

Karina

08/18/06 at 10:10 am

You do have a way with noodles and sauce! Wow. Stunning!

Dani Spies

08/18/06 at 3:25 pm

Wow..that there is the real deal!! I can see just how much love went into that beautiful lasagna…..yum!!

Cannella

08/18/06 at 4:22 pm

Ma è contenta la tua mamma che hai dato la ricetta a tutto il mondo????
E’ una lasagna MERAVIGLIOSA!!!

angelika

08/18/06 at 4:58 pm

Hi Ivonne, thank you for sharing your mother’s lasagna recipe along with your special memories. I agree that the “simple” version - best tomato sauce and cheese and OF COURSE home-made pasta is the best option. What I do - maybe not authentically - is to roll out the fresh pasta very thinly. In this case I do not have to pre-cook the pasta sheets but they “cook” while baking the lasagna. It has worked out perfectly so far. Have you ever tried this ? Would be interesting… Thanks again and until soon, angelika

shaz

08/18/06 at 11:58 pm

great picture

Paz

08/19/06 at 12:50 am

Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe with us.

Paz

Pamela

08/19/06 at 4:06 am

I LOVE lasagne!!!!! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!!! This looks delicious!!

Baking Soda

08/19/06 at 7:05 am

Home made tomato sauce, check, slooow cooking with meaty bits, check, the cheeses check!Not bad, two out of three for a non-Italian. eh..home made fresh pasta? Not yet, but my birthday is coming up soon..::flutters lashes at family members::

Britt-Arnhild

08/19/06 at 10:04 am

Yummy. My daughters have ordered home made pizza for tonight, sweet seventeen is coming home from 16 days in Italy. If not for that I would have made lasagne…..well, another day.

gerald

08/19/06 at 1:09 pm

The layering is so perfect =)

peabody

08/20/06 at 3:38 am

I just made this tonight. My husband doesn’t eat veal and loves ground beef(I’m not so crazy) and we kept the meat in the sauce. I must say that we both decided that I would make lasagna that way from now on. Bravo!

Cindy

08/20/06 at 7:39 am

Until now I always thought that it’d be great to have dinners at yours if I was living in Toronto, but I’ve changed my mind. I wanna have dinner at you’r mother’s ! lol.
Those lasagna look a delish.

Pamela

08/20/06 at 8:00 am

Tried your recipe (I too kept in the meat but I don’t think I will the next time) LOVED IT!!!!
My lasagne didn’t look in anyway shape or form like yours but it tasted great. Thanks for sharing your mums recipe!!

Geneve

08/20/06 at 8:11 pm

This is such a great photo and I can tell just by looking at it how fresh the layers of pasta are - yum!!! Thank you so much for sharing this special family recipe!

maura

08/22/06 at 12:22 am

Gorgeous! Thanks for the recipe.

utenzi

08/24/06 at 11:02 am

That is the most beautiful piece of lasagna I’ve ever seen, Ivonne. I’m definitely going to try your mother’s recipe and see how it compares to the one I usually use.

Ivonne

09/4/06 at 6:37 pm

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments about my mother’s lasagna. It truly is delicious. I hope you all find the time to make it a part of your repertoire.

Enjoy!

Lynda Hallett

10/25/06 at 4:23 pm

Tell you Mom to bring some into the OMA

Luigi

03/29/09 at 9:36 am

I’m surprised that you spell lasagne incorrectly. Anyway, the lasagne look fabulous!!

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