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Lasagna happens to be one of my favorite dishes. It is hard to resist those steamy, gooey layers of tender pasta, tangy-sweet-tomato-y sauce, and rich, mild cheese. When made with fresh pasta (which I showed you how to make yesterday) it is out of this world.
When we had goats I made my own ricotta and once in awhile even the mozzarella – but that was a few years ago. The point is that the more fresh ingredients you toss in there the better it is going to be. Fresh basil, fresh pasta, a good quality ricotta cheese… well that is the foundation for a perfect dinner.
I love Alfredo sauce. It is rich and cheesy – and totally different from the usual tomato based sauces served with pasta. If all you have ever had is the stuff out of a can then you really don’t know what Alfredo sauce tastes like. Well, you are about to find out. It is a simple to make, cream based sauce that goes together almost as quickly as you can get the jar open. The ingredients are not exotic – you probably have most of them in the house.
Since you are (I hope) going to try making your own pasta with the homemade pasta recipe I posted yesterday go ahead and make the Alfredo, too. You won’t believe the difference. Commercial sauces are usually much too salty and bland. I am not sure how they achieve that salty blandness but they do! I figure they have specially talented tasters that own stock in salt mines somewhere. Really.
In any case there is a difference, and don’t just take my word for it. Make the sauce one evening, after dinner when you are cleaning the kitchen. Make the pasta the next day and store it in the fridge.
Then all you have to do is put everything together and bake it on the day you want to serve the lasagna. You can also make it all on one day – even if you are really slow it won’t take you more than a couple of hours.
The flavor of this dish is dependent on the freshness and delicacy of the ingredients as well as the seasoning on the chicken. I like grilled chicken for this recipe but you can brown it in a frying pan in a little olive oil and finish it in the oven if you don’t want to grill. Just be sure to use salt and pepper, and maybe some oregano, basil, and thyme. Americans have gotten used to food that is over-salted and under-seasoned… and that is sad. Learn to use a variety of herbs and spices rather than so much salt. It may be a little unfamiliar at first but you develop new taste buds about every thirty days so it won’t take long before you learn to enjoy how food really tastes.
End sermon. For now.
A delicate, creamy Alfredo sauce that is easy to make. Perfect with any Alfredo dish.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1 cup white wine (chardonnay is great)
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese
- Salt and white pepper to taste
- Milk to achieve the right consistency
Instructions
- Melt butter in medium saucepan with the olive oil over medium- low heat. Don't let it brown.
- Add the garlic and allow it to cook gently in the olive oil for a minute or two without browning.
- Add the wine.
- Bring mixture to a simmer stirring frequently.
- Simmer until the wine and garlic mixture is reduced by half. (about 15 minutes)
- Meanwhile in another pan heat the cream, cream cheese, and Parmesan until the cheese melts and the mixture reaches about 170F.
- Stir frequently and do not allow to boil.
- Remove the cream mixture from the heat and cover the pan.
- When the wine and garlic mixture is reduced add it to the hot cream mixture. Pour slowly and whisk as you go.
- Add the Mozzarella and stir over low heat until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasonings.
- The sauce is ready to be used. If making ahead store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- You may need to add a little milk to get the right consistency.
Notes:
*Use with the chicken Alfredo lasagna *Alternately you can just add the cream, wine, cream cheese, and Parmesan to the garlic in step two and skip step 3 - 5. It won't be quite as good but it is easier and will still be delicious. Just simmer until the mixture is reduced and the right consistency. * If you prefer to leave out the wine you can use chicken broth instead. You can also leave out the wine with out substituting anything and cut you reduction time.
Rich Alfredo sauce and grilled chicken stand in for the traditional meat and tomatoes in this delicious lasagna variation.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, grilled and cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms, optional
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Alfredo sauce (recipe above)
- 1 pound ricotta cheese, whole milk if possible.
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided use
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided use
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
Instructions
- In a large skillet, saute the mushrooms, garlic, and onion in oil until the onion is transparent.
- Gradually stir in Alfredo sauce.
- Bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until thickened.
- In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, egg, and herbs.
- Add a few spoonfuls of the Alfredo mixture to the bottom of a lasagna pan.
- Spread 3 lasagna noodles over the top.
- Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture over the top of the lasagna noodles.
- Spread the chicken over that.
- Spoon about 1/3 of Alfredo that's left over the top.
- Sprinkle on 1/2 cup of the Mozzarella over the top.
- Add 3 more lasagna noodles and repeat the layers.
- Add the last lasagna noodles to the top.
- Spread with the remaining Alfredo.
- Sprinkle with the reserved Parmesan and the remaining Mozzarella.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for about 10 - 15 more minutes, or until bubbly.
- Remove from oven.
- Allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
Notes:
You can add baby spinach leaves to this. Just sprinkle the raw leaves over the sauce on each layer except the top. They will cook as the lasagna bakes.
I’m going to play with this….especially with making it ahead and reheating. Thanks….if it works…help with the math to make it for 100+ ??
This does sound good, but I still prefer not-lasagna. I make the sauce, filling, and noodles separately, toss them together in a bowl and serve.
yep… I do that.
what degree do you bake it at? I assume 350 but now sure ?
Yes… sorry. 350F.
Hi Marye! Great recipe! What is the difference in consistency if you cut out the wine and don’t use chicken broth in its place? How different is the taste if you use chicken broth instead of wine? (I don’t use wine when I cook ).. thanks
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not that much… you may need to go ahead and thin it a little but I think you will be fine. Basically it won’t need to reduce as much.
I’ve made alfredo lasagnas before but I tossed in a bunch of veggies to make it healthier. I added spinach, tomatoes, red onions, mushrooms, carrots, and peppers. It was delicious!
it’s a great dish to hide veggies in!