Comments on: the real deal (marcella hazan’s lasagne bolognese) http://www.crumblycookie.net/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:48:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Andree Sandahl http://www.crumblycookie.net/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-27321 Andree Sandahl Sun, 06 Nov 2011 15:13:18 +0000 http://crumblycookie.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-27321 lasagna lovers unite! my MH book also calls for 3T of each veg. i usually double the onion though. I too add more San Marzano Italian plum tomatoes. My book keeps the sauces separate. I layer like this: meat sauce, noodle, bechamel sauce topped with parm and a sprinkle of mozz, noodle. repeat. keep each layer of sauce thin and you can have many delicate layers. mmmm i may have to make this today! lasagna lovers unite! my MH book also calls for 3T of each veg. i usually double the onion though. I too add more San Marzano Italian plum tomatoes. My book keeps the sauces separate. I layer like this: meat sauce, noodle, bechamel sauce topped with parm and a sprinkle of mozz, noodle. repeat. keep each layer of sauce thin and you can have many delicate layers. mmmm i may have to make this today!

]]> By: Patrice Messina http://www.crumblycookie.net/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-27042 Patrice Messina Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:52:40 +0000 http://crumblycookie.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-27042 I came upon this site accidentally via google too, looking for something on Marcella. I too have Marcella's first cookbook and have made this lasagne every Christmas Eve for at least 10 people for decades now! It's such a hit that when I suggest making something different I get loads of protests. Her original bolognese recipe only called for small amounts of onion, carrots and celery. Am surprised at the 2/3 cup portions! I believe in my cookbook it's only 3 tbl of each! And since I double the recipe for my crowd, I have made the following alterations all with great success. I make my lasagne noodles in a pasta machine, much simpler. I use (horrors, I know!) canned chopped spinach that I've drained. I whir that in a mini food processor so it's pureed. When mixing the egg and oil for the pasta machine I add the pureed spinach until it gets the dark color (I shouldn't say pureed, because it still retains the bits and pieces of the spinach for a great look). I make all the noodles, when I dip them in the boiling water I lift them out as they rise to the surface and lay them on clean cotton towels. I never have to rinse them or dip in ice water, they cool immediately and I have never had them stick to the towels. That was a surprise to read! So, moving on. For the bolognese: sometimes I only use the ground beef, and sometimes I mix it up using ground lamb which tastes great too. Where I change it up is I usually add about four cans of the plum tomatoes, usually the large Progresso cans. And sometimes for a shortcut I use the Progresso chopped tomatoes with puree. I know it's deviating but it gets the same flavor. Now the reason I use more tomatoes than she has in the recipe is this: I think her version comes out too dry and I used to always run out of sauce. It's a personal preference, but if you add more tomatoes I think you'll find this sauce is hugely flavorful and really makes the dish better. I used to make the bechemel her way, oh my aching arms!!! Until I discovered I could pour in most of the warmed milk and it didn't ruin the bechemel at all. In putting it together I agree with the others above I never mix the sauces. I layer as she says in her original recipe: smear bolognese sauce on the bottom, layer of noodles, layer of bolognese, drizzle the bechemel over the red sauce, sprinkle with parmesan and repeat. I too have left off the butter on top for the same reasons. When cut and served the beauty of the red, white and green layers is evident and a perfect touch on Christmas Eve. Just thought I'd share my thoughts on this wonderful dish! I came upon this site accidentally via google too, looking for something on Marcella. I too have Marcella’s first cookbook and have made this lasagne every Christmas Eve for at least 10 people for decades now! It’s such a hit that when I suggest making something different I get loads of protests. Her original bolognese recipe only called for small amounts of onion, carrots and celery. Am surprised at the 2/3 cup portions! I believe in my cookbook it’s only 3 tbl of each! And since I double the recipe for my crowd, I have made the following alterations all with great success. I make my lasagne noodles in a pasta machine, much simpler. I use (horrors, I know!) canned chopped spinach that I’ve drained. I whir that in a mini food processor so it’s pureed. When mixing the egg and oil for the pasta machine I add the pureed spinach until it gets the dark color (I shouldn’t say pureed, because it still retains the bits and pieces of the spinach for a great look). I make all the noodles, when I dip them in the boiling water I lift them out as they rise to the surface and lay them on clean cotton towels. I never have to rinse them or dip in ice water, they cool immediately and I have never had them stick to the towels. That was a surprise to read! So, moving on. For the bolognese: sometimes I only use the ground beef, and sometimes I mix it up using ground lamb which tastes great too. Where I change it up is I usually add about four cans of the plum tomatoes, usually the large Progresso cans. And sometimes for a shortcut I use the Progresso chopped tomatoes with puree. I know it’s deviating but it gets the same flavor. Now the reason I use more tomatoes than she has in the recipe is this: I think her version comes out too dry and I used to always run out of sauce. It’s a personal preference, but if you add more tomatoes I think you’ll find this sauce is hugely flavorful and really makes the dish better. I used to make the bechemel her way, oh my aching arms!!! Until I discovered I could pour in most of the warmed milk and it didn’t ruin the bechemel at all. In putting it together I agree with the others above I never mix the sauces. I layer as she says in her original recipe: smear bolognese sauce on the bottom, layer of noodles, layer of bolognese, drizzle the bechemel over the red sauce, sprinkle with parmesan and repeat. I too have left off the butter on top for the same reasons. When cut and served the beauty of the red, white and green layers is evident and a perfect touch on Christmas Eve. Just thought I’d share my thoughts on this wonderful dish!

]]> By: Christopher Yeilding http://www.crumblycookie.net/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-11079 Christopher Yeilding Sat, 15 May 2010 07:13:07 +0000 http://crumblycookie.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-11079 I came to this site by searching Google. I have to say that this looks delicious. Thanks for taking your time submitting this recipe! I came to this site by searching Google. I have to say that this looks delicious. Thanks for taking your time submitting this recipe!

]]> By: Irene Schuman http://www.crumblycookie.net/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-8793 Irene Schuman Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:32:53 +0000 http://crumblycookie.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-8793 I, too, tried Marcella Hazan's lasagne but since I'm a lazy cook I took a few short-cuts. I made the Bolognese sauce exactly as she described and it was delicious. I froze it a week before Thanksgiving. The day before Thanksgiving, I used store bought pasta. I made the bechemel the way I usually do with cold milk, stirring constantly on a slightly higher heat than she recommends. It was fine. At that point I added about 1/4 cup of homemade pesto sauce (from my freezer) to the bechemel. I then assembled the lasagne: first a thin layer of meat sauce, then three slices of the cooked pasta, then the bechemel-pesto sauce which I covered with quattro formaggio (parmesan, fontina, asiago, provolone) from Trader Joe's) and a few slices of mozzarelle. I only had room to repeat this for 3 layers. I topped it with the butter as she suggested and had to mop up the butter with a paper towel when it came out of the oven. I didn't want to serve it with the pool of butter floating on the top. It was delicious and everyone raved, but it wasn't authentic. We still enjoyed it and I will make it again, especially if I can freeze the meat sauce ahead of time. The assembly took very little time. I, too, tried Marcella Hazan’s lasagne but since I’m a lazy cook I took a few short-cuts. I made the Bolognese sauce exactly as she described and it was delicious. I froze it a week before Thanksgiving. The day before Thanksgiving, I used store bought pasta. I made the bechemel the way I usually do with cold milk, stirring constantly on a slightly higher heat than she recommends. It was fine. At that point I added about 1/4 cup of homemade pesto sauce (from my freezer) to the bechemel. I then assembled the lasagne: first a thin layer of meat sauce, then three slices of the cooked pasta, then the bechemel-pesto sauce which I covered with quattro formaggio (parmesan, fontina, asiago, provolone) from Trader Joe’s) and a few slices of mozzarelle. I only had room to repeat this for 3 layers. I topped it with the butter as she suggested and had to mop up the butter with a paper towel when it came out of the oven. I didn’t want to serve it with the pool of butter floating on the top. It was delicious and everyone raved, but it wasn’t authentic. We still enjoyed it and I will make it again, especially if I can freeze the meat sauce ahead of time. The assembly took very little time.

]]> By: bridget http://www.crumblycookie.net/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-93 bridget Sat, 05 Apr 2008 19:42:55 +0000 http://crumblycookie.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-93 arriba - That sounds great! I really love mushrooms in lasagna. arriba – That sounds great! I really love mushrooms in lasagna.

]]> By: arriba http://www.crumblycookie.net/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-94 arriba Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:44:27 +0000 http://crumblycookie.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-94 I hope you will see this post--I know it is late! I recently read an addition to this wonderful lasagna in a book of Marcella's that I don't own(Marcella Says-- written after they moved to florida). She added 3.5 lbs of slow cooked mushrooms to the bolognese sauce. She mixed the varieties--crimini, button, shitaake, dried porcini, sliced them thinly, cooked for 1.5 hours then added to prepared meat sauce. I would really like to try this variation and have made the Bolognese sauce(frozen). I made a mushroom lasagna that I found on the web that was good but bland because it was just mushrooms and bechamel. I'll bet Marcella's innovation would be REALLY good! I will post if I make it anytime soon. I hope you will see this post–I know it is late! I recently read an addition to this wonderful lasagna in a book of Marcella’s that I don’t own(Marcella Says– written after they moved to florida). She added 3.5 lbs of slow cooked mushrooms to the bolognese sauce. She mixed the varieties–crimini, button, shitaake, dried porcini, sliced them thinly, cooked for 1.5 hours then added to prepared meat sauce. I would really like to try this variation and have made the Bolognese sauce(frozen). I made a mushroom lasagna that I found on the web that was good but bland because it was just mushrooms and bechamel. I’ll bet Marcella’s innovation would be REALLY good! I will post if I make it anytime soon.

]]> By: arriba http://www.crumblycookie.net/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-88 arriba Tue, 29 Jan 2008 02:38:14 +0000 http://crumblycookie.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-88 I am glad you had the same feeling about the butter. Rarely do I disagree with Marcella but I just don't think this wonderful dish needs it. I am glad you had the same feeling about the butter. Rarely do I disagree with Marcella but I just don’t think this wonderful dish needs it.

]]> By: bridget http://www.crumblycookie.net/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-89 bridget Mon, 28 Jan 2008 02:54:28 +0000 http://crumblycookie.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-89 Oh, I thought the butter was way too much as well! It sounded good in theory, but I was not impressed with the pools of melted butter on top of the lasagna. I guess it seemed out of context. Oh, I thought the butter was way too much as well! It sounded good in theory, but I was not impressed with the pools of melted butter on top of the lasagna. I guess it seemed out of context.

]]> By: anonymous http://www.crumblycookie.net/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-90 anonymous Mon, 28 Jan 2008 02:48:31 +0000 http://crumblycookie.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-90 If you make this wonderful lasagna again, try not mxing the sauces and see which method you prefer. I would love to know what you think. I think(I don't have the book right here)that the meat sauce is spread thinly on the noodle, then bechamel added, then parmesan. Also, I don't add butter anymore as it seemed more greasy--unnecessarily so. I am enjoying reading my way through your site. If you make this wonderful lasagna again, try not mxing the sauces and see which method you prefer. I would love to know what you think. I think(I don’t have the book right here)that the meat sauce is spread thinly on the noodle, then bechamel added, then parmesan. Also, I don’t add butter anymore as it seemed more greasy–unnecessarily so.

I am enjoying reading my way through your site.

]]> By: bridget http://www.crumblycookie.net/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-91 bridget Sun, 27 Jan 2008 16:17:42 +0000 http://crumblycookie.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/the-real-deal/#comment-91 Interesting. She must have updated that for later editions. I have Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, and it definitely specifies to mix the sauces. Interesting. She must have updated that for later editions. I have Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, and it definitely specifies to mix the sauces.

]]>