Do you want to learn how to make the perfect lasagna from scratch? Samin Nosrat from NYT Cooking throws a virtual dinner party so hang on tight and make sure to pay attention. She does a great job keeping you entertained with her witty personality. The style of this video makes you feel like you’re in the room cooking with her. I would lie to you if I said this tutorial was fast and easy. Samin gives you step-by-step with the process, but you have to be ready to cook! This tutorial can be frustrating or overwhelming for beginners, but just be patient and listen closely to the tutorial. If you don’t have the time to make everything from scratch, there are some things you can tweak such as buying pasta or other ingredients premade if you think this recipe is too advanced for you.
Ingredients:
FOR THE RICOTTA FILLING:
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (if using fresh spinach)
- 1 pound fresh mature spinach, washed and ends trimmed, 1 pound baby spinach, or 1 1/2 cups frozen spinach, thawed
- Fine sea salt
- 2 pounds whole-milk or part-skim ricotta (about 4 cups)
- 6 ounces grated whole-milk or part-skim mozzarella, provolone or even string cheese (2 cups)
- 3 ounces freshly grated Parmesan, Asiago or Grana Padano (1 heaping cup)
- 20 large fresh basil leaves (from 1 bunch), finely chopped (about 3/4 cup), 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley or chives, 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme or marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
FOR THE BÉCHAMEL:
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- Fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Ground nutmeg (optional)
FOR THE ASSEMBLED LASAGNA:
- 4 ½ cups Simple Tomato Sauce or 32 ounces store-bought marinara sauce (preferably without added sugar)
- Fine sea salt
- 1 recipe Homemade Lasagna Sheets, 16 fresh store-bought lasagna sheets, 2 (9-ounce) packages dried lasagna noodles (preferably without curly edges) or no-boil noodles (boiled until al dente)
- 1 ½ ounce grated Parmesan, Asiago or Grana Padano (1/2 cup)
- 3 ounces grated whole-milk or part-skim mozzarella, provolone or even string cheese (1 cup)
Directions:
First, follow along with Samin Nosrat’s lasagna tutorial as she walks you through the process of putting it all together.
Second, there are a lot of steps and parts to follow such as making the ricotta filling and bechamel.
Then, you’re going to want to layer and fill up your lasagna layers.
I had so much fun watching Samin Nosrat perfect this homemade lasagna. I’ve been wanting to make lasagna from all scratch at some point in life, but I would have to find some time to set aside. It looks super delicious and tasty. Enjoy!
