One of the best things about finding ourselves suddenly at home for a year (and counting), has been the chance to take our love affair with comfort food to the next level. It still feels nice to throw a frozen pizza into the oven when we don't feel like cooking, but who can argue with the opportunity to spend more time in the kitchen. And whether that means whipping up cinnamon rolls or macaroni and cheese, we can always count on one of our favorite celebrity chefs and their go-to recipes to help us bake our way through it.
Lasagna is no exception. This pasta dish checks all the boxes of comfort food: It's cooked with love, sparks joy and leaves every appetite feeling satisfied. Yes, that feeling never gets old!
As it turns out, the queen of 30-minute meals also found herself slowing down during quarantine. Luckily for us, Rachael Ray just shared the product of that extra time spent in the kitchen with fans on social media.
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"Last year, I made so many lasagnas that I thought I might be done with them for life," Rachael writes in the latest issue of her "In Season" magazine. "But here's the thing: Lasagna is layers and layers of love, which makes the time you put into it worthwhile."
Rachael's lasagna requires a fairly hefty list of ingredients, but the final product will make the trip to the grocery store well worth your while. There are three things to prepare here: the meat sauce, the "besciamella" (white sauce), and the ingredients needed for assembly.
To begin this five-step recipe, combine all of the ingredients for the meat sauce in a sturdy saucepot. Next, make the besciamella in a large skillet or saucepan. Once both sauces are ready, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; cook the pasta for five minutes. Now, you're ready to preheat your oven . . .
Finally, assemble your noodles and sauces in layers in a baking dish, and fold in mozzarella and the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake the lasagna for 40 minutes; remove foil, and return to the oven until the top is nice and bubbly.
Now, this is the most important thing to remember: Unless you want to ruin the lasagna that you've just poured your heart into, let it breathe for 20 minutes. Otherwise, the layers could collapse, and your dinner may look a lot more like a lasagna smoothie.
Rachael came up with the perfect activity to occupy us while we (impatiently) wait to dive in — and it involves bread and booze. Her Roasted Red Pepper & Caper Crostini and a glass of your favorite wine are here to liven up the waiting game, and this entire meal will remind you why comfort food will never go out of style. Full recipe here.
More comforting pasta recipes:
- Cacio e pepe pie is an insanely easy pasta dinner to make on nights when you don't feel like cooking
- A fool-proof method for delicious pesto (and how to easily customize it with over 50 ingredients)
- 10 easy-to-make pasta dishes for satisfying weeknight dinners at home
If you're looking to cut some corners, try this instead:
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