Earlier this month I introduced the Philips Pasta Maker and even offered a chance to win one. If you haven’t entered yet, go back to that post and enter — then come right back to see the delicious dishes we’ve made since getting ours.
We started simply with spaghetti, and it was a hit. After that success I tried whole wheat egg fettuccine, which also turned out great. The noodles were a bit narrower than I expected, but the flavor and texture were wonderful.
Buoyed by those results, I decided to make a full lasagna. I prepared a double batch plus an extra single batch to fit a large 10×14 baking dish. I’ve found I prefer fresh pasta made with just flour and water for lasagna — it yields pliable, tender sheets that are easy to work with. Making fresh noodles is also a fun activity to involve kids in; they love watching the dough transform into pasta.
Fresh Pasta Lasagna
Ingredients
1 lb Italian sausage
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 oz) cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp parsley
1 tub ricotta cheese
1 tub cottage cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup frozen spinach — defrosted and drained
1 package (450 g) mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3–4 servings of fresh lasagna noodles from the Philips Pasta Maker (about 3 batch servings)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
In a large pot over medium heat, brown the Italian sausage, ground beef, chopped onion, and minced garlic until fully cooked. Drain excess fat. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and 1/2 cup water. Season with sugar, dried basil, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and parsley. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. The long simmer time develops deeper flavor, but you can simmer longer if you have the time.
While the sauce simmers, mix the filling: combine ricotta, cottage cheese, the egg, and the drained spinach in a bowl until evenly blended.
To assemble the lasagna: spread one third of the meat sauce across the bottom of a 10×14 inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of fresh lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread half of the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles, then top with about one third of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat the layers: sauce, noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, and another third of the mozzarella. Finish with the remaining meat sauce, a final layer of noodles, and the last third of mozzarella. Sprinkle grated parmesan over the top.
Cover the dish with foil sprayed lightly with cooking spray to prevent the cheese from sticking. If your dish is very full, place it on a sheet pan to catch any spills while baking. Bake covered for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Let the lasagna rest for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving — this helps it set so the pieces hold together.
You can also color your fresh lasagna noodles by using spinach juice or another vegetable puree when making the dough. Green noodles look great and add a subtle vegetable flavor. We found the top layer of fresh noodles crisps nicely without becoming hard like dried pasta can. The tender, slightly crisp result makes homemade lasagna worth the extra effort — we’ll be making ours this way from now on.
Don’t forget to enter to win your own Philips Pasta Maker and try these recipes for yourself!
