INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

SAUCE
CHEESE
BECHAMEL
***(There will be a couple of ounces left in the 28-ounce can. Save it. You
will use it in assembling the lasagne.)
This is the lasagne we have made and sold for a decade. Several things set
this version apart from the dozens of other lasagne recipes. Its sauce is
strongly seasoned with oregano. It calls for a thick filling of bechamel
instead of ricotta cheese. It uses feta cheese to step up the flavor of the
dish. And it takes advantage of fresh lasagne noodles, which can go into
the dish with no precooking. Our sales of this product are the best proof
that the formula works. PREPARE-AHEAD/SERVING NOTES: Make a day ahead and
bake when needed, or do as we do and freeze. Take the lasagne straight from
the freezer to the oven and adjust the cooking time accordingly. Caution:
Be sure to let the lasagne sit 20 minutes before serving. ESSENTIAL GEAR:
Shallow baking pan (9 by 13 inches)
To make sauce, cook ground beef in a saute pan over medium heat until pink
is gone and meat is crumbly. Remove from heat and pour meat through a
colander to drain off all fat. Reserve meat. (Be certain it is
well-crumbled. If it is not, break it up using a potato masher or large
wooden spoon.) In the same saucepan, heat olive oil and add onions,
oregano, garlic, basil, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook
over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add wine, bring to a boil,
and cook until alcohol has evaporated--- about 10 minutes. Stir in
tomatoes. Add spinach and reserved meat. Continue simmering for a few
minutes. Remove from heat and reserve. Mix together mozzarella and feta
cheeses and set aside.
To make bechamel, heat milk, cream, white pepper, thyme, nutmeg, and basil
in a small saucepan until it nears a boil. Turn off heat. Melt butter in a
medium-size saute pan. When foam from butter recedes, remove from heat, add
flour, and mix well. Return to medium-low heat and, stirring frequently,
simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to cook, but not brown, the flour. Gradually stir
in hot milk and cream mixture. Raise heat to medium-high and continue
stinnng until mixture is smooth and thick--about 5 minutes. Add Parmesan
and Romano cheeses and whisk until smooth. This should be the texture of
wallpaper paste, not of the white sauce more often associated with
bechamel.
To make topping, mix together bread crumbs, Parmesan, and parsley. Reserve.
(continued in part 2)

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