Lasagne – The Anti Turkey
Thanksgiving is over and we all need a little break from turkey. Most of us also need a little break from the prolonged kitchen toil that comes with feeding hordes of family and friends. Having exhausted my takeout options I flipped open the December issue of Fine Cooking and spotted the recipe for “authentic” Beef and Pork Ragu Lasagne on page 68.
The recipe was extensive, the noodles were homemade, the ragu took hours. An experiment for another day, when memories of brining and basting had faded. Still, the cheesy, meaty, gooey photos were inspiring. Inspiring enough that I created this super simplistic formula for “Inauthentic Meat Lasagne” using techniques from Fine Cooking and ingredients I found lurking around the back of the fridge.
Inauthentic Meat Lasagne has three components – noodles, red sauce, and white sauce (béchamel or besciamella). First, prepare the red sauce and start your pasta water. Leave the red sauce over low heat and throw in the noodles. While they cook you can whip up a quick batch of béchamel.
Preparing Your Components
Red sauce – Crumble and brown some hot Italian sausage. Make a red sauce using your favorite quick recipe; I discovered and defrosted some marinara I’d prepared in August. (You can even use sauce from a jar. Hide the evidence.) Add the sausage to the red sauce and simmer over low heat while you prepare the rest of the components.
Noodles – Buy them at the store, cook them using the directions on the box. Or use the no cook variety.
Bechamel – Melt 6 Tbsp. butter, add 6 Tbsp. flour over medium low and whisk until no longer raw tasting (3-5 minutes). Add 3 cups milk, whisk and bring to a low simmer (don’t boil), reduce until creamy and thick. Season with salt and pepper.
Building Your Lasagne
Layer red sauce (with sausage), then noodles, then béchamel, then optional cheese.
Repeat. Just keep going until you’ve reached the top of the dish. Pop it in a 350 degree oven until it’s fully heated, usually at least 45 minutes. I like to broil it for 5 minutes at the end to ensure a crispy top. Let it rest before attempting to cut. It may not be authentic, but it’s cheesy and comforting and beats having General Tso’s for the third night in a row.
