Beneventan Lasagna

Name: Beneventan Lasagna
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 105 min
Total time: 165 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Lasagne egg pasta 8.8 oz; Fior di latte mozzarella cheese 1.1 lbs; Neapolitan salami 7.1 oz; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese to grate 3.5 oz; Eggs 4; Black pepper to taste; Tomato purée 4 ¼ cups; Yellow onions small 1; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Ground beef 10.6 oz; Stale bread 3 ½ cups; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese (to grate) 1.8 oz; Eggs 1; Parsley 1 tuft; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Serving: 6 persone

PRESENTATION

Italian regional cuisine offers us rich and sumptuous dishes, especially during the holidays! In Campania, we can find Beneventan lasagna, typical of the province of the same name. Just as you can't go without Beneventan cardone at Christmas, this appetizing main course of lasagna is usually served during Carnival: it's a lasagna without béchamel typically topped with meat sauce, meatballs, mozzarella, and boiled eggs. Here we've replaced the meat sauce with a classic tomato sauce to offer you a slightly simplified version that you can prepare all year round! Don't worry though, the taste remains the same... actually, we're sure you'll love the abundant and flavorful filling tucked between the layers of these traditional baked lasagna! Try the Beneventan lasagna yourself: not just Carnival lasagna, but a delicious and succulent recipe for special occasions.

INGREDIENTS

Lasagne egg pasta 8.8 oz (250 g)

Fior di latte mozzarella cheese 1.1 lbs (500 g)

Neapolitan salami 7.1 oz (200 g)

Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 3.5 oz (100 g) - to grate

Eggs 4

Black pepper to taste

For the sauce: Tomato purée 4 ¼ cups (1.4 l); Yellow onions 1 - small; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste

For the meatballs: Ground beef 10.6 oz (300 g); Stale bread 3 ½ cups (100 g); Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.8 oz (50 g) - (to grate); Eggs 1; Parsley 1 tuft; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Beneventan Lasagna

To prepare Beneventan lasagna, first make the sauce: clean and chop the onion 1, then transfer it to a pot with a drizzle of oil 2 and let it stew for a few minutes 3.

Pour in the tomato passata 4, rinse the pitcher with a splash of water and add salt 5, then cover with a lid 6 and cook over low heat for about an hour.

In the meantime, cut the mozzarella into 3/8-inch strips 7 and let them drain on a tray lined with paper towels for about an hour 8. Prepare the meatballs: soak the slices of stale bread in water 9.

After a few minutes, squeeze out the bread 10 and discard the crust, then transfer it to a bowl with the ground meat 11 and add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP 12.

Add the egg 13 and chopped parsley 14, salt, and pepper. Mix everything with your hands to get a homogeneous mixture 15.

Take small portions of the mixture and form meatballs the size of a marble 16; with these amounts, you should get about 150. Heat the oil in a large pan, place the meatballs in 17, and brown them on the outside for a few minutes, then set them aside 18; they will finish cooking in the oven.

Now put the eggs in a pot with plenty of cold water, turn on the heat, and cook for 8-9 minutes from boiling 19. Meanwhile, cut the salami into cubes 20. When the boiled eggs are ready, cool them under running water, then peel and crumble them with a fork 21.

You're ready to assemble the lasagna: take a 20x30 cm (8x12 inch) baking dish and spread some sauce on the bottom 22, then place 3 sheets of pasta, slightly overlapping them 23. Cover with more sauce and distribute some meatballs 24.

Add some salami cubes 25, mozzarella strips 26, and crumbled eggs 27.

Sprinkle with grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP 28 and a grind of pepper 29. Cover with more sauce and repeat the layers in this way until you have 6 in total 30.

Finish with a layer of pasta, all the remaining sauce, grated cheese 31, mozzarella 32, and pepper. Bake in a preheated static oven at 392°F for 25-30 minutes, on the middle rack. Remove from the oven and serve your Beneventan lasagna after letting it rest for a few minutes 33!