She Says: Hand Me Down Lasagna Recipe
This is my great-grandmother’s recipe for the best lasagna in the whole world. She died when I was young, so I don’t remember that much about her, but I am honored to share her love of food and cooking and to pass along her recipe as she wrote it many years ago. My grandma and mom use this recipe and I’ve even used it once myself. I hope one day someone reading this follows her recipe, too.
Great Grandma Margaret’s Lasagna
Put oil in water drop lasagna in one at a time. When cooked pour cold water + drain. Cook gravy plain or with meat. Put some aside for serving.
Brown 2lb. hamburger, dice 1 whole mozzarella. Now get 1 lbs ricotta. Beat in 3 eggs, salt, pepper, parsley beat smooth.
Bottom of pan, put gravy then layer of lasagna. Fix in a row. Let lap over a little over another. Then put layer of hamburger, layer of mozzarella, a layer of ricotta mixture. And spread gravy and cheese last. And keep repeating the same on each layer of lasagna as you started. I think you’ll have about 6 layers. End with lasagna, gravy, grated cheese.
Put aside 6 good pieces of lasagna for last layer. Be easy with the mixture or you’ll get stuck.
Some Notes
My mom does not brown “hamburger” for lasagna. She uses 2lbs of beef to make meatballs, then she crumbles that into the lasagna. She also adds crumbled Italian sausage. She insists the lasagna is not as good if you don’t make it from meatballs. I believe this to be true.
I am trying to get my mom to write down the “gravy” and meatball recipes for me, but she says she doesn’t know measurements and is very stubborn. Anyway, it’s very important to add lots of gravy when you serve your piece!
Finally, adding oil to pasta water is not something my mom normally does, but she insists it’s necessary with lasagna noodles to prevent them from sticking to each other and assuring that you can layer the noodles.
Handed-down recipes are always fabulous – they bring back nostalgia!
What a sweet post. A testament to Grandma. I love that!
I watched a Food Network show that said the SAME thing about meatballs in lasagna! You Italians!
Oh my goodness, your lasagna looks so good! It makes me hungry and I just ate!
I love passed down recipes, I have a few myself and my mom is the same as yours, too stubborn to write down recipes or figure out measurements.
By the way, thank you for the comments on my blog.
that looks delish! gotta love hand me down recipes. i learned the recipe for pierogies by making them with my grandma, and writing down every little thing she did or told me! have you watched your mom to get the meatball and gravy recipes?
wow. that looks amazing!
i have a recipe for champagne risotto that my mom made every christmas eve. it reminds me of her so much. I framed the one in her handwriting and hung it on my kitchen wall. I’ll post a pic of it next week!
Aww Rhodey, that is so sweet.
ttfn: I’ll have to follow her next time!
Oh! That looks awesome!
I never made my own “gravy” before I met my husband, and I have to agree with our mom that it is hard to write down a specific ingredients, because it always depends on the tomatoes – some are sweeter, some are more tart, so you just have to wing it as you go.
It usually takes us 2 full days to get it where we like it! And then I can it – it is so awesome in the dead of winter with 6 inches of snow on the ground, and to pull a jar of sauce off the pantry shelf!
Thanks for sharing!
they gotta be handed-down recipes for a reason! that looks incredible, mmm i love lasagna
Yea to handed down recipes!! They are the best ever and the best comfort foods
Enjoy it!
Great post! Handed down recipes are always great!
And it looks delicious!! Good trick about the oil! Thanks!
VERY COOL. the recipe. the photo of the recipe.
I have no handmedowns like that much to my chagrin.
So nice of you to share your great grandmothers recipe. I am sure it means so much to you to have it.
soy butter?!?! ewwwwwwww! haha
I don’t know that I’m allergic to the actual nuts, because it doesn’t happen with all brands. It is possible that there is some type of chemical that is getting into some of them? Because it happens with some types of cherries and apricots and apples, but if I peel them I have no problem. OH! and I never have a problem from farm fresh ones. weird.
I LOVE seeing the recipe handwritten – very cool! And that lasagna looks absolutely amazing!
oh and I just saw your comment on caretoeat… they simply don’t sell the flat out wraps by us. i have searched high and low, probably since February, and have yet to find them. They DO however sell them in the markets ive been to in Jersey and Philly… maybe Mark will buy you some?
Hand me down recipes are the best! And I agree with Lauren – seeing the recipe handwritten is very cool!
Heather, tell mom she is write about the measuring part. You know I don’t know measurements either. It seems your great-grandmother didn’t either. My recipe is the same as your family. I haven’t made it in a long time, but I will soon after seeing your pics.
This post was very sweet and I think the lasagna looks wonderful. I love the idea of making meatballs first!
Got it HP – hopefully mine won’t turn out like lasagna stew again!
If it turns out – I’ll give you full credit!
I love the post. It looks delicious. Thank you!