Cheese and Tomato Lasagna

Posted on March 25, 2017 by nina in the kitchen

This is a full of flavor lasagne that’s not glorpy or heavy! It’s similar to the light lasagne of Italy which is all about the pasta, not the thick sauce!

Look up the recipe at Cooks Illustrated or America’s Test Kitchen. These two links will both take you there. You do need a subscription to have access to their recipes. If you don’t have one, take advantage of their one month free offer! I love these sites! They are a great source for recipes, testing and product recommendation, and will always provide interesting background info!

Here are some photos I took while making this lasagne along with basic instructions:

Cheese Sauce

In a medium bowl whisk together

4 oz or 2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese

8 oz or 1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 cloves garlic minced

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cheese sauce:

Tomato Sauce

In a skillet heat 1/4 cup olive oil. Sauté 1 chopped onion. Add and sauté together until onions are softened:

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Add and cook about a minute:

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 or more anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry and minced, optional but it adds a nice earthy flavor!

Sautéed onion and herbs:

To the onion add and simmer 20 minutes:

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese

Tomato sauce nearing completion:

Lasagna

You will need:

16 Oz or 14 curly type regular lasagne noodles, such as Barilla OR

9 oz Barilla Oven Ready Lasagne

12 oz or 3 cups fontina cheese, grated

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch (to keep grated cheese from sticking together)

1/2 cup Pecorino Romano

If you use regular lasagne pasta, don’t cook it! Instead soften them! Use the curly variety
Place 14 noodles in a 9×13 inch baking pan. Pour boiling water over the noodles to cover them
Use the tip of a sharp knife to keep the noodles separated

This is the pasta brand used and the pasta soaking in boiling water:

When the pasta are bendable, place the container in the sink and run cold water over them. Drain or lift them out of the water and dry the pasta on towels

Pasta drying on kitchen towels:

Here is the Oven Ready Lasagne: No soaking or boiling needed. Just layer them in!

Preheat oven to 350 -375 degrees with a rack in the middle of the oven (350 if using a glass baking pan as I do)
Place 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan
Cut 2 noodles in half crosswise and set aside.
Layer 3 full noodles lengthwise over the sauce with one end up next to the short end of the pan.
Place a half noodle at the other end of the pan perpendicular
Spread half of cheese sauce over noodles
Sprinkle 1/2 cup grated fontina cheese over cheese sauce
Layer noodles next in the same manner but switch the half noodle to the other end of the pan
Spread 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce over the noodles
Sprinkle 1/2 cup fontina cheese over sauce
Place 3rd layer of noodles with 3 1/2 noodles, again switching the short noodle to the other end from the last time
Spread remaining cheese sauce and then 1/2 cup fontina
Layer 3 1/2 noodles and again switch their placement. This is to make the layers an even height
Spread the remaining sauce over the noodles.
Mix 1 cup fontina with cornstarch and sprinkle it on
Finally layer the 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano on top
Spray a sheet of foil with oil and place it oil side down on the lasagne
Bake at 350 or 375 for 25 minutes
Remove lasagne from oven
Increase temp to 450 and remove foil.
Return lasagne to the oven and bake 5-10 minutes until lightly browned
Remove from oven and let sit 20 minutes before serving
I have made this lasagne ahead and refrigerated it before baking. Bring it to room temperature before placing it in the oven