Chef Kurt’s Wolverine Lasagna

MSU Corporate Chef Kurt Kwiatkowsi called in his gourmet recipe for Lasagna to take to the tailgate party this weekend. Check out the conversation below.

The Chef also gave a demonstration on how to properly use your knife in the kitchen. Check that out below.

Chef Kurt's Wolverine Lasagna

1 box of lasagna noodles
¼# bacon, sliced up fine or diced pancetta
1½ c. sliced onions
4 cloves of minced garlic
2oz. tomato paste
2 c. chicken broth
4 28oz. cans of Italian San Marzano tomatoes
2 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1# bulk ground Italian sausage
¾# ground beef
½ c. chopped onion
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 package crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 T. red wine
1# ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1½ c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
¾# sliced provolone cheese

In a large saucepot, over medium heat, add the bacon/pancetta and cook for about 5 minutes, add onions and sauté for 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes, continuing to stir.
Add in the tomatoes, and as you add them in, crush or squeeze the tomatoes to mash them up. Rinse out the cans with 2 c. of chicken stock and stir in dried oregano, thyme and bay leaf. Let sauce simmer for at least 1 hour, would be even better for 2 hours, on low heat.
In a large saute pan, over medium high heat, brown the sausage and ground beef cooking on each side for about 7 minutes. Then add onions, mushrooms and garlic and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Deglaze pan with red wine, scrape the bottom and remove from heat. Reserve “filling”
Mix the ricotta, eggs, and half of the parmesan cheese, season with a little salt and black pepper.
Spread about a 1 c. of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and then put down a layer of noodles. Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture down, top with half of the “filling” and another 1½ c. of sauce, then a third of the mozzarella cheese. Top this with ¼ c. of parmesan cheese and another cup of sauce. Repeat the layer of noodles and the filling, etc. and top the last layer of noodles with the remaining cheese and about ½ c. of red sauce.
Cover the lasagna with a piece of parchment paper and foil, and bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 1 hour, remove from the oven and remove parchment paper and foil, and put back into the oven for an additional 15 minutes to brown up the cheese.
Best of cooked the day before and reheated in the oven for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees and then let it rest for about 20 minutes before slicing it up.

Chef Kurt will be cooking for life at Creative Wellness and you can take his class on November 6. If you are looking to improve your kitchen performance click here.

You can find the Chef on Facebook here. On Twitter here.

Chef Kurt calls in a gourmet recipe every Friday around 8:20. Get up with Deb and Joey weekdays 6-10 am.