Directions: Put a large 8- to 12-quart pot of salted water (1 tablespoon salt for every 2 quarts water) on the stovetop on high heat to bring to a boil. While the water is heating, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook it until it is lightly browned on all sides. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl. If there is more than a tablespoon of fat left in the pan – there should not be if you are using lean ground beef – remove it from the pan. Add the jerk seasoning to the ground beef, mix, and let it stand for 5 minutes or more. Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the skillet. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and the peppers softened. Add the minced garlic, scallion, and thyme and cook for 30 seconds more. Return the browned ground beef to the skillet. Stir to combine, reduce the heat to low, and cook for another 5 minutes. Transfer the beef-pepper-onion mixture to a medium sized bowl. Put the crushed tomatoes, Sloppy Joe sauce, A1 sauce, and tomato paste in a 3- or 4-quart pot. Add the parsley, oregano, and Italian seasonings, adjusting the amounts to taste. Sprinkle with the vinegar. Stir in the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, tasting after each addition, until a balanced flavor is achieved. (The amount of sugar needed will vary, depending on how acidic your tomatoes are.) Add salt to taste, though note you will later be adding Parmesan, which is salty! Bring the sauce to a simmer and reduce the heat to low in order to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 15-45 minutes, stirring often. Scrape the bottom of the pot every so often so that nothing sticks and scorches. Remove pot from the heat. By now the salted water should be boiling. Add the lasagna noodles to the water. Stir often and keep the water at a full rolling boil during
the entire cooking process to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Once the noodles are al dente, pour them into colander and rinse with cool water, gently separating any noodles that may have stuck together. Spread a little olive oil on a large rimmed baking sheet. Then, lay the cooked noodles on the sheet, turning them over so that they are coated with a little of the oil. (Note: the noodles may also be prepared in advance.) Melt the Cottage and ricotta cheeses together in a small saucepan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a 13x9x2-inch casserole or lasagna dish, ladle a cup of sauce and spread it over the bottom of the dish. Arrange one layer of lasagna noodles lengthwise over the sauce (about 3 long noodles; the edges may overlap, depending on your pan). Ladle a third of the remaining sauce over the first layer of noodles, and add the beef mixture. Sprinkle a third of the grated Mozzarella and Pepper Jack cheeses in a layer over and the beef mixture. Then, add half of the Ricotta cheese and cottage cheese. Next, sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese evenly over the Ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. Apply a second layer of three noodles, topping it with half of the remaining sauce. Add half of the remaining Mozzarella and Pepper Jack, the remaining Ricotta and Cottage cheeses, and another thin sprinkling of Parmesan. Top it all with the final layer of noodles. Finally, spread the remaining sauce over the top layer of noodles and sprinkle with the remaining Mozzarella, Pepper Jack, and Parmesan, as well as the breadcrumbs. Tent the lasagna pan with aluminum foil, without touching the noodles or sauce. Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool before serving. The dish may be reheated in a conventional oven or microwave. Retain the aluminum tent for storage.
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