A classic Neapolitan recipe from Mrs. Pristine, Afrim’s own mother and favourite home cook, this multi-generation lasagna recipe touches on the rustic, family-style history and tradition of Naples’ cultural cuisine, right down to the must-add hard boiled egg.
“For me, if there’s no boiled egg in lasagna, then it’s not really lasagna”
Serves: 6
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 24 oz passata
- 28 oz diced canned tomatoes
- 1/3 tomato paste
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tsps salt
- A few basil leaves
Alternative: Good quality store bought tomato sauce
Meatballs:
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 Conestoga Farms egg (normal)
- 1/2 grated Parmigiano reggiano cheese
- 2 tsps salt
- 1/2 cup milk
Vegetable oil for frying
Lasagna:
- 12 Conestoga Farms eggs, hard boiled & quartered
- 1 1/2 lbs lasagna sheets, pre-boiled
- 1 lb fresh ricotta
- 6 oz Parmigiano reggiano or grated piave cheese, grated
- 10 oz mozzarella, grated
Instructions:
Sauce:
- Place all ingredients in a large pot.
- Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Then let simmer for 1 hour.
- Remove from heat and discard basil and garlic
Meatballs:
- Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk. Combine wet breadcrumbs with all other ingredients except for vegetable oil which is for frying.
- Mix ingredients together and shape the meatballs into mini globes.
- Add vegetable oil to large skillet and fry meatballs on high heat. They will cook in 3 minutes.
- Then remove and transfer to paper towel lined plate to cool
Lasagna:
- Spread sauce on bottom of baking dish. Then layer the lasagna sheets.
- Spread 1/3 of ricotta over the top followed by a layer of meatballs.
- Layer 1/3 of boiled Conestoga egg pieces, a sprinkling of mozzarella and a few spoonfuls of sauce. Add a sprinkling of Parmigiano reggiano.
- Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until the top is golden brown and starting to crisp up.
- Take lasagna out of the oven and let cool for 20 minutes before cutting into it.
- Once out of the oven as well, cover loosely in tin foil.
- Cut Into 6 large pieces, put on nice plate and add a touch more sauce, grated cheese and boiled egg to garnish.