Cuban-Style Lasagna

This week I am going to show you a recipe that is an Italian-Cuban fusion. Lasagna is an Italian dish, but the recipe I am showing you is a lasagna recipe from my Abuela and mother that infuses Cuban flavors into the lasagna. My family loves this Cuban-style lasagna. In fact, it is one of my brother’s favorite meals, so either my mom or I make it for him for his birthday every year. It is not too difficult to make, particularly if you use boxed dry pasta, but using handmade pasta makes the lasagna a little extra special! This lasagna is delicious, and the fact that it can be premade and frozen makes it a great meal option for special occasions or an everyday meal. You simply take it out of the freezer to thaw overnight then put it in the oven to cook!  This recipe makes two large lasagnas, so you can eat one immediately and freeze one for later to eat another day.  The flavor and ease of this recipe definitely make it worth trying, so have fun and enjoy!

Cuban-Style Lasagna Recipe 

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 ½ pounds of ground beef  
• 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 3 cups of ricotta cheese
• 6 ½ cups of crushed tomato
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 large red pepper, finely chopped
• 32 ounces of whole milk mozzarella
• ½ of a pasta dough recipe (for the recipe go here) or use 1 box of dry lasagna pasta

TOOLS NEEDED:

• Cutting board, knife, measuring utensils, cheese grater, a large mixing spoon, tongs
• 2 large pots
• 2 cooking trays, a 9 by 13 inch rectangular Pyrex tray at least 3 inches deep or something similar
• Pasta maker, manual or mechanical (optional; only if making fresh pasta)

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION / INSTRUCTIONS         

                                                                           

BRIEF DIRECTIONS (See the video demonstration for detailed instructions):

1. Collect and prepare a few of the ingredients. Finely chop the onion and pepper using a food processor or knife. Then grate the block of mozzarella cheese (if you use mozzarella that is already grated, you can just skip this step).
2. Next, set up the meat filling. In a large pot, put the ground beef, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, crushed tomatoes, onion, and red pepper, and mix to combine. Then place the pot on the stove and cook on high heat. Once you see the mixture bubbling, cook on high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then reduce to medium-low heat and continue to cook for 30 minutes. While waiting, you can begin rolling out the pasta.
3. If using fresh pasta, take a quarter of a fresh pasta dough recipe found here, and set up your pasta maker, or you can just use a rolling pin. If using a pasta maker, you need to roll out the dough on a floured surface first to make it a ½ inch thick or less so that it will fit through your pasta maker. Now take the dough and put it through your pasta maker at the highest setting first, which for me is 7, and work your way down to 2 or 3. You’ll want to roll the dough through each setting 3 times. You want the rolled out pasta to be 1/8 inch thick. Then cut the pasta into large rectangles slightly smaller than your cooking tray as the pasta expands when cooked (see video demonstration for visual; Note: If using boxed dry pasta, just skip this step).
4. After 30 minutes the meat should be cooked. Turn off the stove, then add the ricotta cheese to the meat and mix thoroughly until fully incorporated.
5. At this point, set up your cooking trays by spooning a thin layer of crushed tomato on the bottom of the trays. This will prevent the bottom of your lasagna from sticking and drying out. Also, set up a lasagna-making station with the meat-ricotta mixture, mozzarella cheese, and crushed tomato. 
6. Next, in a large pot, bring water to a boil and boil the pasta. For fresh pasta, I do one rectangular pasta sheet at a time because they are very large. Cooking multiple sheets of pasta at once will make it difficult for you to flip them while cooking, and taking them out of the pot. You also run the risk of the pasta sticking together (Note: you can cook more than one piece of pasta if you are using boxed dry pasta or cut the pasta into small strips). Cook the pasta sheet for 7 to 12 minutes. Then transfer the pasta to the tray where you are assembling your pasta and spread the pasta out evenly over the bottom of the tray.
7. Place another sheet of pasta to cook in the boiling water. While waiting, take the tray you are assembling the lasagna and add a 1-inch layer of the meat-ricotta mixture. Then add a few handfuls of mozzarella cheese. When the second pasta sheet finishes cooking, add it to the lasagna. Put another piece of pasta to cook in the boiling water. Then add another layer of meat-ricotta, and a few handfuls of mozzarella cheese, like you did before to the lasagna you are assembling. When the third pasta sheet finishes cooking add it to the top of the lasagna. Then add a layer of crushed tomato about ¼ inch thick and top with a thorough coating of mozzarella cheese. Repeat the process for the second lasagna or for however many other lasagnas you are making.
8. At this point, you can cover the lasagna with plastic wrap or aluminum foil for another time and put in the freezer, or you can cook the lasagna. To cook the lasagna put it in a 365° F oven for 45 minutes or until the cheese has browned around the edges. Then remove from the oven and let sit (cool) for 5 minutes before serving. Note: if you freeze the lasagna, make sure you let it thaw for a few hours before putting it in the oven. I usually take it out of the freezer the day or night before I am going to cook the lasagna.

Pasta Dough

Growing up in a Cuban-Italian household, I was exposed to Italian cuisine as much as I was to Cuban cuisine. I think when people think of Italian food, pasta is one of the first things to come to mind. Pasta is a simple and affordable meal option for many people. Moreover, pasta can be accompanied by  a variety of foods and sauces. It is also a great way to add bulk to a meal to feed large families or gatherings of friends. While boxed pasta is a great and affordable option, there is something really special about fresh pasta made at home. The texture is super silky, and the taste is wonderful! There really is a significant difference between fresh and boxed dried pasta. The convenience of boxed pasta is great. However, if you are looking to make a special meal, fresh pasta is the way to go, because the taste and texture are amazing! To make fresh pasta dough, you only need a few basic ingredients, so it is still quite affordable, very tasty, and so simple to make! You can also turn the dough into whatever pasta you want! You can even use it to make pasta for lasagna or ravioli. So have fun giving this recipe a try!

Pasta Dough Recipe 

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups of all-purpose flour (or use 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour and 1 ½ cups of 00 flour)
• 5 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil (optional)

TOOLS NEEDED:

• Cutting board, plastic wrap, and metal scraper.
• Pasta maker, manual or mechanical (optional)

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION / INSTRUCTIONS         

                                                                           

BRIEF DIRECTIONS (See the video demonstration for detailed instructions):

1. Collect ingredients. Stir the flour in a bowl using a whisk to loosen up the flour.
2. Dump the flour onto your work surface, form it into a mound, and create a well (large hole) in the center.
3. Next, add half of the eggs (and olive oil) in the well you created. Then use a fork to beat the eggs together and begin to incorporate some of the flour from the inner rim of the well. As you mix the eggs with one hand, use your other hand to push the flour to maintain the well shape. When the egg has a paste-like consistency, add the rest of the eggs and continue to use a fork to slowly incorporate the flour.
4. The dough will start to come together once most of the flour is incorporated with the egg. At this point, start kneading the dough using the palms of your hands to push the dough out on the work surface and fold over (see video demonstration for visual). Once the dough is a cohesive mass, set it aside. Then scrape any dried bits from the work surface and discard.
5. On a lightly floured surface, take the pasta dough and continue kneading for 5 minutes. The dough should end up slightly sticky and elastic, meaning if you press down lightly on the dough you should see it spring back a little.
6. Now wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes (Note: the dough needs to be completely covered in plastic wrap as air will cause the dough to dry out). 
7. Once the dough is rested, it can be used to make pasta using a pasta maker or rolling the dough out and cutting the pasta by hand.