Gigi’s Lasagne

In skillet combine butter, olive oil and diced bacon; sauté. Add onions
and bell pepper and sauté until golden. Add ground pork, ground beef,
and brown. Stir well. Deglaze skillet with wine and let mixture simmer
about 5 minutes. Add the parsley, pressed garlic, salt, pepper, and mushrooms. Cook over low heat about 15 minutes. Add tomatoes.
Adjust seasonings as necessary. Add herbs and a pinch of sugar. Cook slowly, about 1 1/2 hours. Add tomato paste, stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Cheese Sauce:
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 pounds mozzarella, grated
4 1/2 cups milk
8 egg yolks

Florentine Lasagne (Quick)

In a large bowl combine spinach, ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup
Parmesan. Combine eggs, thyme, basil, nutmeg, salt and pepper; beat
slightly. Pour into spinach-cheese mixture. Mix well. Set aside. Prepare
lasagne according to package directions, adding 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
to boiling water to prevent sticking. Drain. Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Layer with lasagne, 1 cup cheese mixture
and 1/2 cup sauce. Repeat layers, ending with lasagne noodles. Top with remaining sauce and cheeses. Cover and bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees
F. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Allow to cool 10 to 15
minutes before cutting.

In a kettle cook the leeks in 3 tablespoons butter over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until they are softened. While leeks
are cooking, heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Sauté chicken, patted dry
and seasoned with salt and pepper, for 5 minutes on each side and transfer
to a plate. To the skillet add mushrooms and cook over moderate heat.
In a large saucepan of boiling water blanch zucchini strips, stirring, for 30 seconds and drain them well. Stir flour into kettle with leeks, cook mixture over moderately low heat, whisking, 3 minutes, and whisk in the milk.
Bring liquid to a boil, whisking, and simmer, whisking, for 5 minutes. Stir
in cottage cheese [ricotta], chicken, chopped coarse, and salt and pepper
to taste and remove kettle from heat.
Cook lasagne al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well.
In the bottom of a well-buttered heavy baking dish (13-by-9) arrange a
single layer of lasagne strips, sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan over and arrange
half the zucchini strips on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the mushrooms over zucchini
and spread half the chicken mixture on top. Arrange another layer of remaining lasagne strips over chicken mixture; layer remaining zucchini, mushrooms and chicken mixture in same manner. Top with a final layer
of lasagne strips. Beat cream until it holds soft peaks, add salt and pepper
to taste, spread cream over lasagne. Sprinkle with the remaining
Parmesan. Bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees F., until top is golden
brown. Cool 15 minutes. Serves 8.

Cut green and yellow zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick strips.
Sprinkle both sides generously with salt. Drain on several layers of
paper towels for 1 1/2 hours. Pat zucchini dry.
Meanwhile, rinse spinach and drain. Cook in batches in heavy Dutch
oven over medium-high heat until just wilted, stirring occasionally, about
1 minute. Drain on paper towels; between batches, discard any liquid in
pan. Pat spinach dry. Season generously with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Place garlic clove on tine of large fork. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add 1/4 of spinach and
stir with fork of garlic until spinach absorbs butter and oil, about 1 minute. Transfer spinach to large baking pan. Repeat with remaining spinach in 3 more batches, using 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil for each
batch. Melt 1 1/2 teaspoons butter with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in same skillet over medium-low heat. Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic and stir until
fragrant, about 2 minutes. Mix into spinach, separating leaves.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add
half of green zucchini and cook until just crisp-tender, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to baking sheet. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and repeat
with remaining green zucchini. Repeat with yellow zucchini in 2 batches,
using 1 tablespoon oil per batch. Sprinkle all zucchini with 1 teaspoon
minced garlic and pinch of thyme; season generously with salt and pepper.
Stir half of noodles into large pot of boiling salted water. Cook until almost tender. Drain well. Toss with oil. Repeat with remaining noodles.
To assemble: Brush 12-inch-diameter paella pan with olive oil. Spread 1/4 cup tomato sauce in pan. Line pan with 8 to 10 noodles, arranging spoke fashion with one end touching in center and other end extending beyond
dish. Spread 1/4 cup tomato sauce in 8-inch-diameter circle over center of pasta. Arrange 1/2 of green zucchini over sauce, arranging strips parallel
to each other, overlapping, in 8-inch circle. Place 1/3 of mozzarella over zucchini. Top with 1/4 cup tomato sauce.
Cover with another layer of pasta, arranging strips parallel to each other
and trimming to fit 8-inch circle. Spread with generous 1/2 cup béchamel sauce. Mound 1/3 of spinach over sauce, maintaining 8-inch circle. Spread with generous 1/2 cup béchamel. Arrange 1/2 of yellow zucchini over
sauce, arranging strips parallel to each other, overlapping slightly, in 8-inch circle. Spread with 1/4 cup tomato sauce. Top with 1/3 of mozzarella.
Cover with another layer of pasta, trimming to fit 8-inch circle. Press gently to flatten slightly. Spread with generous 1/2 cup béchamel sauce.
Cover mound with another layer of pasta, trimming to fit 8-inch circle. Arrange remaining yellow zucchini over pasta. Spread with 1/4 cup tomato sauce. Top with remaining mozzarella.
Cover mound with another layer of pasta, trimming to fit 8-inch circle. Spread 1/2 cup béchamel sauce over. Arrange remaining green zucchini
over béchamel in 8-inch circle. Spread with 1/4 cup of tomato sauce.
Cover mound with another layer of pasta, trimming to fit 8-inch circle. Spread 1/4 cup béchamel sauce over pasta. Mound remaining spinach over pasta, pressing gently. Fold pasta overhang in over mound. Fill in gaps with remaining pasta, gently tucking in ends. Spread about 2 1/2 cups béchamel sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours before baking.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake lasagne until center bubbles and top is golden brown, covering with foil if browning too quickly, about 45 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes. Rewarm remaining tomato sauce. Stir in minced basil. Garnish lasagne with basil leaves. Serve, cutting into wedges and ladling some tomato sauce onto plates. Pass remaining sauce separately. Serves 8.

Gorgonzola Béchamel Sauce
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
9 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons grated onion
6 cups milk, scalded
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1/2 pound Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over low heat. Add flour and stir until mixture bubbles. Add onion and stir 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in hot milk. Increase heat to medium and boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Mix in salt and pepper. Cool 15 minutes. Mix in Gorgonzola. Press plastic onto surface of sauce to prevent skin from forming. Cool to room temperature. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead; chill.) Makes about 6 cups.

Fresh Tomato Sauce
8 pounds Italian plum tomatoes, peeled,
seeded and finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Pinch of sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 celery stalk with top, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley
5 fresh basil leaves, minced
1 thyme sprig, stem removed

Combine tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in large bowl. Let stand
20 minutes to blend flavors. Melt butter with oil in deep 12-inch skillet or
Dutch oven over low heat. Add onion and celery and cook 5 minutes,
stirring frequently. Cover and cook until vegetables are very tender, stirring
occasionally, about 20 minutes. Increase heat to high and add tomato
mixture. Cook until oil separates from tomatoes, stirring frequently, about
10 minutes. Mix in parsley, basil and thyme. Reduce heat to low. Simmer
uncovered 30 minutes to blend flavors and thicken to sauce consistency.
Adjust seasoning. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead and refrigerated.)
NOTE: If tomatoes are lacking in flavor, use 4 pounds fresh Italian plum
tomatoes and three 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes. Drain canned
tomatoes, reserving 1 1/2 cups liquid. Seed and chop canned tomatoes.
Combine with reserved tomato liquid and fresh tomatoes. Cook as above.

Make the sauce: In a saucepan melt the butter over moderately low heat,
add the flour, and cook the roux, stirring, for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk
and boil the mixture, whisking, for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the
heat and stir in the salt, white pepper, Parmesan, Gruyère, and Sherry.
In a bowl stir together the Cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, and Romano.
Spread an even layer of the sauce in a lightly oiled 13-by-9-inch baking dish,
on it layer in order one third of the noodles, one third of the remaining sauce,
half the tomatoes, half the mushrooms, half the salmon, and one third of the
cheese mixture, and make one more layer of each in the same manner. Top
the cheese mixture with the remaining noodles, spread the remaining sauce
over the noodles, and top it with the remaining cheese mixture. Bake the
lasagne in the middle of a preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until
the top is golden. Serves 8 to 10.

For Sauce: Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add
onion, carrots and garlic, sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Add beef
and sausages to pan, sauté until cooked through, breaking up meat with
back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, basil,
brown sugar, oregano, bay leaf, and red pepper. Cover [we prefer not
to cover] and simmer until flavors blend and sauce measures about 5
cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Cool.
For Lasagne: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook lasagne noodles in
large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender but still firm to bite,
about 7 minutes. Drain and cover with cold water.
Combine ricotta and 3/4 cup Parmesan in medium bowl. Mix in spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs. Drain pasta and pat dry.
Spread 1/2 cup sauce over bottom of 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish. Place
5 noodles over sauce, overlapping to fit. Spread half of ricotta-spinach
mixture. Sprinkle 2 cups grated mozzarella evenly over ricotta-spinach
mixture. Spoon 1 1/2 cups sauce over mozzarella, spreading with spatula
to cover (sauce will be thick). Repeat layering with 5 noodles, remaining
ricotta-spinach mixture, 2 cups mozzarella, and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Arrange
remaining 5 noodles over sauce. Spread remaining sauce over noodles.
Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan evenly over
lasagne. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap
and refrigerate.) Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake lasagne 40
minutes, uncover and continue baking until hot and bubbly, about 40
minutes. Let lasagne stand 15 minutes before serving.