Six Cheese Lasagna - Parmesan would make Seven

Here is a delightful recipe for a hearty Italian lasagna. An adaptation of my 5 cheese recipe, this one calls for Fontina and Asiago cheeses and grated Romano instead of Parmesan to top it off.

Ingredients

• ½ pound ground round
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 8 ounces lasagna noodles
• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup Fontina cheese, shredded
• ½ cup Romano cheese, finely grated
• ½ cup Asiago cheese, shredded
• ½ cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• ½ cup Provolone cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes, crushed
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

Sauce:

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Sauté the garlic and crushed red pepper until softened.
3. Add the tomatoes, the reserved juice, basil, oregano, bay leaf and salt.
4. Stir in tomato paste.
5. Bring to a boil, and lower the heat to medium-low.
6. Simmer for about 30 minutes, uncovered, stirring now and then.
7. Discard bay leaf.

Lasagna:

1. In a black cast iron pot, brown ground round with chopped onions over medium-high heat.
2. Cook meat until it is browned, drain excess fat.
3. Pre-heat oven to 250° F.
4. Cook lasagna noodles, four at a time, in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
5. Drain then cover with cold water, to keep from sticking, and set aside.
6. Mix Fontina cheese, Romano cheese, Asiago cheese, Provolone cheese and Romano cheese together.
7. Drain pasta and pat dry.
8. Spread 2 Tablespoons of olive oil on the bottom up the sides of a baking dish (about 9″x13″).
9. Cover the olive oil with a layer of pasta – lengthwise across the pan.
10. Spread one third of ricotta cheese evenly over noodles.
11. Sprinkle about one half cup of the dry cheese mixture over sauce.
12. Pour a cup of the tomato sauce over pasta and spread it out.
13. Lay down another layer of pasta at right angles to the sheets of pasta in the first layer.
14. Cover this with ricotta, dry cheese mixture and sauce.
15. Add half of the browned meat and onion mixture, spread it out.
16. Add another layer of pasta, at right angles.
17. Cover this with ricotta, dry cheese mixture and sauce and the remaining meat mixture.
18. Top with another layer of pasta, remaining sauce and cheeses.
19. Cover the dish with foil.
20. Bake for one hour or until heated through.
21. Remove the foil and bake until the top gets slightly crusty.
22. After taking it out of the oven, allow the lasagna to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
23. Slice into six pieces and serve.

Godere con gusto!

Steve D.

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