Chef Frankie's Ultimate Meaty Lasagna

A mouthwatering and hearty lasagna recipe featuring layers of lasagna noodles, a blend of Italian cheeses, savory cold cuts, and a rich tomato sauce.

Ingredients

18	lasagna noodles
500	g ricotta cheese
1	egg
2	tablespoons parsley, chopped and divided
14	cups pasta sauce
100	g pastrami, cut into strips and divided
100	g extra hot capocollo, cut into strips and divided
250	g chorizo sausage, slices and cut into quarters, divided
450	g mozzarella cheese, grated and divided
1 ½	cups grana padano, grated and divided

Instructions

• 1. In a large bowl filled with hot tap water (not boiling), place 6 lasagna noodles and soak for 20 minutes to soften.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, and 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley. Stir well and set aside.
  3. Lightly spray a 15 ½ x 10 ½ baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon enough pasta sauce to cover the bottom. Place softened noodles in the dish. Repeat with another batch of 6 noodles soaked in fresh hot tap water for 20 minutes.
  4. Spread pasta sauce over the noodles. Layer with half of the pastrami, capocollo, and chorizo. Add half of the ricotta mixture and sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella and Grana Padano cheeses. Repeat with another layer of soaked noodles (soak the last 6 noodles in fresh hot tap water for 20 minutes) and repeat the layering steps. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
  5. Finish with a layer of soaked noodles, pressing gently to compact the ingredients. Cover evenly with pasta sauce and sprinkle the remaining cheeses. Top with the remaining tablespoon of parsley.
  6. Cover the baking dish loosely with foil sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil carefully and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving. This recipe serves 12.

Jul 19, 2024