Victoria Gotti's Sunday Lasagna

Baker*Chick's Note:

Use her Sunday Gravy recipe that I have posted to make this dish. You won't be disappointed!

• Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 2 lbs ricotta cheese
• 1 lb shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup fresh grated pecorino romano cheese
• 2 eggs , beaten
• ½ cup milk
• salt and pepper
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil , plus
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup onion , finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves , minced
• 2 lbs sweet Italian sausage , casing removed and chopped
• 2 quarts sunday gravy
• 1 ½ lbs lasagna noodles

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, 3/4 pound of the mozzarella, 3/4 cup of the romano cheese, the eggs, milk, and the salt and pepper. Whisk the mixture by hand until it looks creamy and the ingredients are evenly blended. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and sausage. Saute for 6 minutes, stirring so it doesn't stick.
3. In a large suacepan, heat the sunday gravy. Stir in the sausage. Cover the saucepan and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
5. In a large pot filled with boiling water, place the noodles and the remaining 2 tbl of oil. Cook the noodles until al dente, about 6-8 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water, set aside.
6. Spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of a lasagna pan, place a single layer of noodles over the sauce.
7. Top the noodles with another ladle of sauce.
8. Drain and excess liquid from the refrigerated ricotta mixture, and spoon 1/4 of the mixture over the first layer of noodles and sauce. Repeat the process three times, layering noodles, sauce, and cheese four times (there should be 4 layers total) and end with a layer of sauce. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella, 1/4 cup romano, and oregano and parsley flakes on top.
9. Bake the lasagna for 40 minutes, or until the cheese on top is golden and bubbling.
10. Allow the lasagna to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Reviews

[Cooks4_6]

I am giving this a four star rating even though the Sunday Gravy recipe I use is not Victoria Gotti's recipe. I use an unpublished family recipe from my Great Grandfather from Calabria. The result is a very meaty lasagna with minimal layering of ingredients. If you want to kick it up a bit, use 1/2 hot italian sausage and 1/2 sweet italian. I also used the no-cook variety of noodles and added about another 1/2 quart of sauce then cooked it covered at 375 for 40 minutes,then added the cheese and cooked for another 15. Delicious!

[Mimi Bobeck]

Victoria's Sauce was a disappointment but this Lasagna was Terrific! She really redeemed her culinary value with this recipe. Let me tell you - the secret must be in the mixture of the pecorino and ricotta! So simple - but what a difference! I will absolutely be making this again!