Turkey Bolognese Lasagna

Sometimes I'm just in the mood for total comfort. Usually, this means mac and cheese, but tonight I was feeling something a little more gourmet if you will. AND, I had that beautiful ricotta cheese that needed to be put to good use, so it only seemed natural to make some lasagna. Lasagna is a dish that doesn't speak comfort, it SCREAMS it. Layers of tender noodles, homemade turkey bolognese, homemade ricotta, and a multitude of mozzarella make for a bite equivalent to a king size bed and a plush comforter. I'm not going to lie, this is time consuming. But if your not feeling super Suzy Homemaker today, break out your favorite bottled marinara and some shredded mozzarella, and while it won't be king size bed plush comforter status, it can probably pass for a queen with a cashmere blanket. Maybe.

Turkey Bolognese Lasagna

Ingredients
olive oil
1 vidalia onion
3 carrots
5 cloves garlic
4 oz. pancetta
1 lb ground turkey
1 16oz. can tomato puree
1 16oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup milk
3 tbs balsamic vinegar
salt
pepper
basil

4 cups ricotta cheese (see previous post for homemade recipe)
2 cups shredded mozzarella
3 rounds fresh buffalo mozzarella

1 box lasagna noodles

Recipe: Finely chop the onion, carrots, and garlic. Heat a large skillet with 2 tbs olive oil. Add the onions, carrots and garlic and cook until the vegetables begin to sweat, about 5 minutes. Roughly chop the pancetta and add it to the mixture. After about 2 minutes, add the ground turkey and cook until the turkey has just browned. Use a spoon to break up the turkey. After the turkey has browned add the tomato puree and crushed tomatoes, milk, and vinegar. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and basil and let simmer for at least an hour.

Once the sauce is ready preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cook the noodles according to the instructions on the box and drain. In a casserole dish, spoon some of the sauce as the first layer. Layer the noodles in an even layer. Then spoon some sauce on top and spread it around. Next, sprinkle the ricotta cheese on top of the sauce layer. Spread some shredded mozzarella cheese and a few slices of fresh buffalo mozzarella as well. Repeat this layer process three times, ending with a top of cheese.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, turn on the broiler, and broil for about 3 minutes until toasted golden brown. Serve in BIG THICK squares with some toasted garlic bread. ENJOY.

 i mean look at the cheeze pleeze

 a hearty slice.

lasagna means love

xoxo

hungreegirl.