We were up for a challenge so decided to tackle White Lasagna.
That's right, lasagna with no tomatoes.
This recipe from longtime food writer Corinne Cook is made with a white sauce, ground meat and cheese.
This béchamel (white sauce) is spooned over the bottom of the dish and then mixed with the seasoned, cooked ground beef. There is no a thick layer of the meat; it's scattered between the layers of noodles.
If you'd like a meatier dish, you can always add more ground beef.
White Lasagna
Serves 8. Recipe by Corinne Cook.
1 pound lean ground beef (more if you like)
¾ cup chopped onion
½ bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
⅛ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
1 package lasagna noodles (may not use all)
Cream Sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
⅛ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
Dash of nutmeg
2½ cups milk
Cheeses:
2 cups creamed cottage cheese (I used a good bit less)
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ pound sliced mozzarella
Chopped parsley, for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Lightly spray a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish with nonstick coating. Set aside.
3. In large skillet, cook meat, breaking up with fork. Pour off some of the fat, if desired. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic and seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes or until onions are tender. Remove from heat.
4. In separate pot of boiling, salted water, cook noodles according to package directions and to tenderness of your choice. To keep noodles separated after cooking, drain, lightly rinse and lay flat on a piece of waxed paper.
5. Cream Sauce: In medium saucepan, melt butter and blend in flour, stirring constantly. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg.
6. While stirring constantly, gradually add the milk. Continue cooking on medium heat until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Cook 1 minute after mixture thickens. Remove from heat.
7. To assemble lasagna: Spread just enough of the white sauce to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Add remaining sauce to the cooked ground meat. Set it aside.
8. Lay noodle strips in a single layer over the sauce in the bottom of the dish. If noodle is too long, cut ends off, so that the noodles lay flat in dish.
9. Over noodles, sprinkle ⅓ of the sauce/meat mixture. Dot with cottage cheese, using as much as you like. Sprinkle with ⅓ of Parmesan cheese and ⅓ of mozzarella cheese.
10. Repeat with 2 more layers of noodles, meat sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella, ending with noodles as top layer.
11. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned on top. Let stand for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.
12. To serve, cut into squares with sharp serrated knife, carefully cutting through the layers of noodles.
Corinne Cook’s cookbook, "Extra! Extra! Read MORE About It!," is available at Barnes & Noble or by calling (225) 293-9770.