Smoked Lasagna

Protein:

Origin: Italian, European

Method: Stovetop and Smoker

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Smoked Lasagna

One of the things that I really enjoy doing, and a theme you will see in this blog, is cooking foods and dishes on a smoker or grill, that would not normally be cooked in that manner.  One of our favorite "non-traditional" dishes to do on the smoker is this smoked lasagna.  The modern oven did not make an appearance until around the turn of the 20th century so cooking lasagna in this manner may be more traditional than you think.  This is especially true when you consider that modern lasagna was thought to have been invented sometime between 1554 and 1692, resulting in a long period of time where the dish would have been cooked in a wood-fired oven or over an open flame. 

This recipe uses smoked mozzarella and works especially well on your grill or smoker.  If you are using a pellet smoker you can leave the dish uncovered the entire time, but if you are making this on an offset or charcoal based smoker, you might consider covering it with foil halfway through the cook.  We also recommend cooking with a mild flavored wood like apple, peach, or cherry. 

Preparing the Smoked Lasagna

Make the meat sauce

Dice your onion, garlic, and celery and chop up the prosciutto. Add the onion, celery, garlic, oregano, and red pepper in a bowl and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and brown it for about 5 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the prosciutto and cook it for a minute or so.

Depending on the amount of fat left in your meat, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then add the onion mixture. Continue to cook until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.

Next add in the tomato paste, canned Italian tomatoes, and basil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When slightly thickened, turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper.

Making the cheese mixture

In a bowl, mix the ricotta with 1 ½ cups of the smoked mozzarella. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, then mix in the egg.

Pre-cook the noodles

Precook 10-12 lasagna noodles per package instructions. You will likely have a few extra, but this allows for any that break during the cooking process.

Finishing the smoked lasagna

Brush a 9x13 pan with olive oil and then spread 1 cup of the meat sauce on the bottom.

Arrange a layer of noodles over the meat mixture, then top with ¾ of a cup of the cheese mixture.

Next, spread 1 ½ cup of the meat mixture on top, followed again by the noodle and cheese layers. Repeat this process one more time, then top with the remaining sauce.

Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top of the meat layer.

Heat your smoker or oven to 350 degrees. After your smoker is at temp cook the lasagna (indirect heat only) for about 30 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees to help make sure the cooking is even. Bake an additional 30 minutes, until the cheese is nice and melted.

If you want a bit less smoke flavor on the lasagna, you may choose to cover the smoked lasagna midway through the cook. We have not found this to be necessary if using a pellet smoker, however, if you are using an offset, drum, ceramic or other charcoal or wood burning smoker you may want to use the foil the first time, to keep the smoke flavor from being too strong.

At the conclusion of the cooking time remove the smoked lasagna from the smoker, and let it stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

Serve this smoked lasagna up with some crusty garlic bread and an insalata caprese. Interested in more Italian dishes, check out our Balsamic Mascarpone Pasta, Italian Style Parmesan Wings, or some Big A$$ Meatballs, with Truffle Burrata.

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