Crispy Lasagna
Folks often ask me where I get my inspiration for the recipes on my blog. Some recipes originated from delicious dishes that I enjoyed while dining out. Others are shared by friends. Some are born when I am browsing through a cookbook or magazine, but this recipe may have the strangest story. I was in a nail salon getting a pedicure, and they had a loop of recipes running on their televisions. One recipe was for crispy lasagna, which looked unique and delicious.
I asked the salon where their program originated, but they did not know. I then went home and did some research on Google. I ended up with a few different recipes, and although they were different from what I was looking for, by pulling bits and pieces, then experimenting, I ended up with the recipe I was looking for.
You do not need to make your own fresh egg noodles, but fresh pasta is necessary. I first tried making my own, and on subsequent tests, I used store-bought fresh lasagna sheets, and quite honestly, you could not tell the difference. I used Rana lasagna sheets. Each package has 6 sheets and is 8.8 ounces. For my first trial, I used a simple, fresh tomato sauce, but I found that during the baking period, the sauce separated and could have been more appealing.
I then went and used my tried and true Umbrian ragu sauce on my second attempt, and it turned out perfectly. I wanted to see if I could fry the noodles ahead of time and if they would stay crispy when the lasagna was assembled and baked. I found that the noodles did stay crispy when prepared up to 6 hours ahead. They did not stay crispy when fried the day before. I would, however, not assemble and bake the lasagna until just before serving or the noodles will lose their crisp texture.
This recipe is best made in individual portions, so the edges stay nice and crisp. You can either prepare the individual lasagnas in individual casserole dishes or simply line a large casserole dish (even a baking sheet) with parchment paper and then assemble the pasta in separate stacks side by side.
My first attempt using a simple tomato sauce. Though delicious, the sauce separated while baking and wasn’t as visually appealing.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Crispy Lasagna
A unique pasta dish that layers crispy fried lasagna noodles with a hearty ragu sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 Packages (6 Sheets) Fresh Lasagna Noodles Cut Into 4-5 Inch Rectangles
- Flavorless Oil For Frying (I use Canola Oil)
- Ricotta Layer:
- 1 1/2 Cups Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
- 1/3 Cup Grated Pecorino Cheese
- 1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Basil
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
- 5 Cups Umbrian Ragu Or Your Favorite Bolognese Sauce)
- 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Whole Milk Mozzarella Cheese
- Topping:
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh Basil Leaves
Instructions
- Begin frying your pasta sheets by filling a large pan 1/5th way up with oil and bringing it to 350°F.
- Fry the sheets of pasta until they are a solid golden brown, flipping so each side can cook.
- Transfer to a towel to drain and repeat the process until the noodles are all fried up.
- You can prepare these pasta sheets up to 6 hours before assembling.
- In a bowl, nix together the ricotta cheese, basil, salt, and pepper.
- Warm the sauce in a small pan over medium heat.
- Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F.
- In either individual baking dishes, or one large casserole dish, begin layering the lasagna with a few spoonfuls of the bolognese, a fried lasagna noodle, a few spoonfuls of the fresh ricotta, more of the bolognese sauce, a handful of shredded mozzarella, and top with a fried noodle.
- Repeat this process until the desired number of layers are reached.
- Spoon a little sauce on top of the final layer with some mozzarella.
- Bake at 400°F for 10-12 minutes, or until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly.
- Top the home made crispy lasagna with some fresh parmesan cheese, and a few basil leaves.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 856Total Fat: 59gSaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 185mgSodium: 861mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 56g
