Lasagnette Recipe
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, lightly crushed
- 2½ pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and pureed
- 1 fresh basil sprig
- Sea salt, preferably gray salt
- Baking soda
- 2 cups (or a 15-ounce container) ricotta cheese
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 ounces baked ham, cut into ¼-inch dice
- 2 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, cut into ¼-inch dice
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- Sea salt, preferably gray salt, and freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ pound fresh egg pasta in sheets
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the garlic and sauté until it is golden. Add the tomatoes, basil, and salt to taste and simmer until reduced to 2 cups. If the sauce tastes too tart, add a pinch of baking soda and simmer for 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat and remove the basil sprig and garlic clove.
- Make the filling: In a bowl, stir to combine the ricotta, egg yolks, ham, mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cut the pasta sheets into 4½-to 5-inch squares. You will need 16 squares. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, add the pasta squares and cook until about half done, about 1 minute, then use tongs or a skimmer to transfer the sheets to ice water to cool quickly. Lift the sheets out of the ice water and place them on clean dish towels.
- Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet or large baking dish. Put ½ cup of the tomato sauce at one end of the baking sheet and spread it into the shape of a pasta square. Top the sauce with 1 pasta square, spread a scant 3 tablespoons filling evenly on the pasta, then continue making layers of pasta and filling until you have 8 layers of pasta alternating with 7 layers of filling. Spoon ½ cup of the tomato sauce on top of the last pasta layer, then sprinkle 1 tablespoon Parmesan and 1 teaspoon chopped parsley over the top. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 2 identical stacks.
- Bake until bubbling and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes, then cut each lasagne in half to make a total of 4 lasagnette. Serve immediately.
