Marie's Famous Homemade Lasagna

Part II of my Cooking Experience with Marie:

Marie's Homemade Lasagna

I met Marie through her daughter, Cathy, pictured above.  Since starting this blog, I have wanted to cook with Marie.  Her dishes have graced the tables of family, friends, church dinners, and special occasions for many years. Marie has 9 children, four boys and five girls.  She entertains her family on Saturday nights, cooking steak and any one of her family's favorite desserts.  She has 13 grandchildren, and has four great-grandchildren with another on the way.  Her kitchen is a hub for holiday dinners and family get-togethers.  Her family has Christmas favorites, including cannolis. They will be in an upcoming Christmas blog.  

Cannoli

A basic cannolo .  Originating in Sicily.  A fried pastry dough with ricotta filling. (from Wikipedia)

In the meantime, come along with us as we begin.

Semplicemente Favoloso!

Homemade Marinara Sauce.

Marie's Homemade Meatballs.

Use the meatballs & marinara sauce from the previous blog, Marie's Fabulous Homemade Meatballs and Marinara Sauce.  They will make this Lasagna a culinary work of art.


Ingredients for Ricotta cheese mixture:

• 2 eggs
• salt
• dried sweet basil
• dried parsley flakes
• 1- 15 oz. carton ricotta cheese
• Three Cheese blend, Parmesan, Romano, Asiago
• milk or cream

If you are looking for exact measurements, you will not find them when following Marie's recipes.  Follow the pictures, and adjust amounts of cheese and herbs according to your family's personal tastes.  Marie has cooked for her family for years, and has acquired a skill  to know and feel if the recipe is "right."

Accompany us and experience this journey in cooking.

Ricotta Cheese Mixture:

Crack 2 eggs into mixing bowl.

Add salt.

Season with dried sweet basil.

Add dried parsley flakes.

Beat with electric hand mixer.

Add a 15 oz. carton of ricotta cheese.

Beat until creamy.

More cheese...
Add Three Cheese Blend of Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago Cheese.

Thin with milk or cream.  When on hand, Marie prefers cream for added richness.
Mix until all the ingredients are incorporated and smooth and creamy.

Most people use cottage cheese.
Marie emphatically states, "Not Me!"

Lasagna: A Brief History

Lasagna, one of the most celebrated of the Italian food staples, has a long and luxorious history. The term "lasagna" comes from the Greek word, "lasagnum," meaning dish or bowl. The ancient Greeks used baking dishes of that name, which they eventually transferred to the Romans. The Romans, who ended up using the same style of dish, also developed a type of food which they used the term "lasagnum" for: it was served in said dish, with layers of a pasta-like food with other fillings in-between. With the extent of the Roman empire, this new "lasagnum" dish spread all across Europe, eventually reaching Britain, where it was published in the very first cookbook.

After remaining dormant for many decades, the early form of lasagna once again surfaced. The early Italians changed the name from "lasagnum," to "lasagna," which is the current form. Over the years, the word "lasagna" began to change definitions; the word previously referred to the serving dish it was baked in, but began to simply mean the delicious pasta meal in the dish itself. In modern cooking terms, it now means layers of thin pasta, with meat, cheese, and tomato sauce squeezed in between. Lasagna sure has come a long way.
(from hershey.kucdweb.com)

Assembling the lasagna: 

Ingredients for layering lasagna:

• Marie's Marinara Sauce
• Marie's Meatballs
• Oven ready lasagna noodles
• Three Cheese Blend, Parmesan, Romano, Asiago
• Ricotta cheese mixture
• Mozzarella cheese, shredded

This is a family recipe that has been passed down from her grandmother and mother. Marie's grandmother was from Rome, Italy.  Marie said her grandmother used fewer seasonings, simply basil, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper.  Marie's mother used thyme, fennel, basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, and red pepper because you couldn't buy the mixtures in the stores at that time.  She used these spices to please her husband because Marie's father was from Sicily.  The seasonings were different, more of the Greek style, and they used more spices.  As a result of learning this recipe from more than one person, it is a combination  that has been perfected over the years.

Prepare baking dish by brushing bottom, sides, and rim with olive oil.

Spoon sauce into bottom of oiled pan.
Liberally sprinkle more of the Three Cheese blend of Parmesan, Romano & Asiago Cheese.

Break the lasagna noodles in half.  These noodles are oven ready.
There is no boiling required.
Layer the noodles on top of the layer of sauce.

Add more sauce.

More noodles.

More sauce.

Then, spoon the ricotta cheese mixture.

Sprinkle a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Spread all layers evenly.

Add more noodles.

More sauce.

More Three Cheese Blend.

Additional layer of shredded mozzarella.
Marie likes "lots of mozzarella."

Add the meatballs around the sides of the dish.
(Marie doesn't always add the meatballs).
Then, sprinkle an additional layer of mozzarella cheese.

Ready for the oven.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

This recipe makes another dish of lasagna.
Prepare it in the same order as the first pan.
Marie is making me my own pan of lasagna!

Is it done yet?
Carefully remove from the oven.

Bellissimo!

This is a masterpiece of melted browned cheeses, noodles, meatballs, marinara sauce.

A great mother, daughter cooking team.

Thank you, Cathy & Marie for a great cooking adventure!

My take home lasagna.

Amare!

Delicio. Grazie, Marie.

Marie's mother made turkey for Christmas, but also made it a tradition to serve her homemade lasagna and meatballs every Christmas.  Marie follow her Italian heritage and also serves her Lasagna and Meatballs for her family.

Marie's Family Photos

Cathryn Liberto
Marie's Mother

Mom-Dad Hammett
Marie's Grandparents
Mom Hammett was from Rome, Italy

Mom-Dad Liberto
Marie's Parents
Her Dad was from Sicily

Marie at three years old with her brother, Tony.

Val-Marie

Val-Marie-Kids

Marie's first 6 children