Beginning with a really good meat sauce makes a difference. Instead of just using a jar of sauce, saute chopped bell pepper, onions, and garlic to go into the sauce. Sometimes, I like to saute chopped tomatoes to add, too. Adding just a bit of cream or melting in a little cheese can make a difference. Instead of only using ground beef, use a blend of ground beef and italian sausage. A 50/50 blend and a 60/40 blend work well, but so does 100% sausage. A little extra basil, red pepper, or fennel can make a difference. Adding just a pinch or two of sugar removes the acidity of tomato sauce without making it taste sweet. Of course, some people like a hint of sweetness in their pasta sauce, so they may want to add a little bit more. Many recipes call for adding water to the sauce, but if you want flavor use beef broth instead. Allowing the sauce to slowly cook for a couple of hours allows the flavors to blend, resulting in a superior sauce. Remove it from the heat when it is just the right consistency for layering with the noodles, not too thick and not too thin.
Any box of lasagna noodles will have a recipe on the back or side that describes how to mix cheese for layering. Great lasagna has more cheese than any printed recipe describes. Maybe use a recipe for a starting point, but more Mozzarella mixed with the Ricotta is good. (I never have used Mascarpone in lasagna, but I have wondered about using some with the Ricotta.) An extra egg or two helps it all stay together better. I like to throw in some basil and/or chopped parsley because it adds flavor and looks good. Some chopped raw garlic or some garlic powder in the cheese blend is good, because more garlic always is good. I have to learned to avoid too much of the "hard" cheeses in the cheese blend for layering because they make it less creamy. Some Parmesan and Romano is good in the layering blend, but any extra is best on top of the lasagna. Of course, more Mozzarella melted on top at the very end of the cooking process is essential for great lasagna.
Last Wednesday, those who ate at FBC Richton had a choice of regular lasagna, or the "kicked up" version. The special version was the result of a special request. There were differences in the spices and cheese blends, but the main difference between the two kinds was the meat. The "kicked up" version had more meat, and some of it was prepared differently. I broiled link italian sausage until it was almost done, then allowed it to cool and chopped it. (It would have been just like the ground sausage without the broiling.) Then, the chopped sausage was browned until it was completely done. Browning it in a skillet after it was chopped added an extra element to the flavor. This was added into a roughly 50/50 blend of browned ground beef and italian sausage, forming the extra meat layer for the "kicked up" lasagna. The result was 1/3 ground beef, 1/3 ground italian sausage, and 1/3 chopped italian sausage for that layer.
I hope that these thoughts are useful for those who have been asking for a recipe. All of the lasagna-themed discussions have been fun. Food can be great, but sharing our lives over food is even better. May this post contribute to many great family lasagna experiences throughout our church family and beyond.
