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Christmas Eve Lasagne

26-Dec-2005
We have a holiday tradition in my family. Actually we have several of them but the one I’m talking about has to do with our Christmas Eve dinner. For years that dinner has been lasagne. I’m not sure when we started it but I think it was about the same time as when my brother, the youngest sibling, was informed about Santa and we also moved our main gift exchange to Christmas Eve. Lasagne not only reflected my (half) Italian heritage but it was easy to prepare ahead of time, made for a fairly quick meal with easy clean-up, and allowed us to move to the "main event" in an expedient manner!
 
Now, I should also tell you that we actually celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on the weekend prior to Christmas so this year, "Christmas Eve" was December 17th and "Christmas" was the 18th.  Why, you ask?  Each year we alternate who hosts the festivities but with half of us living in Oregon and half in Washington that means someone is always traveling.  As my siblings started having families we thought it was important for them to establish their own family traditions, as well as participate in the extended family gatherings which meant they should be in their own homes for the holiday.  And over time it was harder and harder to coordinate with in-laws (or out-laws, if you prefer!) so that we could all be together on the same day.  So several years ago we decided that we’d always get together the weekend prior to Christmas and that has worked pretty well for us overall.  In fact, I recommend it as a way to reduce stress during the holidays. 
 
But back to the dinner.  This year I ended up hosting and so Saturday morning I got up and assembled lasagne so it would be ready to go that evening.  I apologize for the photo – I forgot to take a specific picture of it, so the one above is actually from one of our group photos around the table – the lasagne was not the primary subject so it’s not the best photo in the world. 
 
This makes a wonderful hearty meal and really all you need to add to it is a green salad, some nice crusty bread and (for the adults) a decent red wine.  It’s really a good entertaining meal since you assemble it early and then have time to socialize while it’s baking.  There are lots of variations, so check out the notes at the end of the recipe. 
 
Lasagne
1 # of ground beef, fried
1 1/2 quarts of marinara sauce
1 – 2 cups sliced mushrooms
16 oz Ricotta cheese at room temperature
16 oz Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
9 lasagne noodles – prepared according to package
 
Heat the sauce and add the ground beef and mushrooms.  Allow to simmer for 30 minutes so that the mushrooms and ground beef absorb some of the sauce. 
 
In a 9×13 inch pan, spread a little of the sauce. 
 
Place three lasagne noodles side by side on top of the sauce.  Dab 1/3 of the ricotta over the noodles and then spread it out.  Sprinkle 1/3 of the Mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan over the Ricotta spreading evenly.  Top with enough sauce to completely moisten the entire layer. Repeat this process two more times. 
 
Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the last layer of sauce. 
 
Bake at 375° F for about 45 minutes.  The sauce should be bubbling all around the edges of the pan and should be bubbling slight in the center. 
 
Remove pan from oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.  Slice into 3" squares and serve. 
 
Notes: 
Ground beef is the traditional way we make this but feel free to substitute any ground meat.  This year I used turkey as we had some guests who did not eat beef.  I prefer the beef but turkey or chicken both work fine.  I’ve also used a good canned tuna for the meat.  Or leave the meat out altogether and add some steamed spinach. 
 
When I have time I make my sauce from scratch but when things are hectic or I’m pressed for time I use a quart of  Classico Tomato and Basil Sauce mixed with a 16 oz can of chopped tomatoes.  It’s a tasty and easy substitute. 
 
In this particular recipe I prefer the "aged" Mozzarella to the fresh.  By aged I mean the solid blocks of it.  When it melts it adds a nice stringy, cheesy quality to the lasagne. 
 
Use any sort of lasagne noodle you prefer.  I generally use dried noodles and cook mine first, although you can use the "no-cook" variety.  I’ve also used sheets of fresh lasagne (you need to cut them to fit your pan) and those are a really nice alternative. 
 
Instead of placing the meat and mushrooms in the sauce, you can included them as layers during your assembly.  I just prefer to have them absorb some of the sauce prior to baking – I think it makes the whole dish meld much better. 
 
Although it is hard to wait, really let that lasagne cool for at least 15 minutes prior to slicing and serving.  If you try to do it sooner it will be almost impossible to get the layers not to slide all over the place! It will still taste good but won’t look nearly as nice! :-) 
 
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