ITALIAN HAM LASAGNE RECIPE
LLasagna’s classic recipe is truly the foundation of Italian cuisine.
A dish you are offered at any restaurant in the main touristic cities as a culinary representative of our culture.
Italians cook this iconic dish for numerous important occasions, such as Christmas or special family dinners.
White Lasagne represent an exception, a classic for Italian Sunday lunches with family and friends because easier to prepare.
Why? The “white lasagne” dishes substitute Ragù – long to prepare – with other tasty ingredients like Prosciutto ( ham), Vegetables, Pesto, and many others.
The time of preparation is shortened, but the effect is guaranteed! Your guests will surely be grateful to you!
I will repeat the following forever: “Every person, every family, and every region has a preferred version with some variation of any dish”. I encourage you to add your touch and adjust the recipes to your taste. Be creative!
I propose the Ham and Mozzarella Lasagne dish (in Italian, “Lasagne con Prosciutto Cotto e Mozzarella”).
You’ll see how easy it is to prepare, but the effect, once cooked, is “a wow effect”.
I hope you’ll enjoy it!
How to cook Lasagne with ham
Lasagna is composed of many layers of ingredients:
- Prosciutto Cotto – Ham
- Lasagna, a kind of flat sheet of pasta
- Besciamella, a creamy milk sauce
- Mozzarella cheese
- Grated Parmigiano
Besciamella Sauce is the only more complex preparation for this dish. Therefore, it’s necessary to prepare it before composing the dish.
Once ready, we’ll proceed with the layers that create the final Lasagne with ham dish.
how to make lasagne
the Ingredients to cook lasagne
CHECK ALSO THE GROCERY LIST AT THE END OF THE PAGE !
let's cook lasagne together STEP BY STEP
YOU'LL NEED:
“BESCIAMELLA”: THE MILK SAUCE
- Put a big piece of butter into a high pan. Cook slowly.
- Once the butter has melted, add enough flour to form a ball called Roux (it must be soft but not breaking apart).
- At the same time, in another pan, boil 1 liter of milk (slowly) with half a teaspoon of salt and nutmeg powder ( I like one full teaspoon).
- Once both are ready, pour the milk into the “Roux” and cook until the besciamella is ready.
- Add salt if necessary. (taste it!)
Turn off the stove once it becomes soft, creamy, and slightly consistent.
YOU'LL NEED:
BOIL THE LASAGNE
This procedure is necessary for all “white lasagne” dishes unless you find fresh lasagne pasta at the supermarket.
Why? As Ragu’ is not used here ( ragu’ is a liquid element that would soften the lasagne once in the oven), the lasagne must be preboiled.
STEPS
Take one big round pan and fill it with water.
Add some salt (2 teaspoons) and put 5/6 pieces of pasta at a time once the water is boiling.
Boil for 4/ 5 minutes. Move with a fork to prevent the pieces of pasta from attaching.
Pull out the pasta and let it dry on a clean kitchen towel.
YOU'LL NEED:
COMPOSE THE LASAGNE: THE LAYERS
HERE’S WHERE YOU CAN ADD YOUR STYLE TO THE LASAGNE.
- Take one big rectangular casserole dish.
- But some flakes of butter or olive oil and spread it all over the casserole
- Cover the bottom with the first layer of dry Lasagna Pasta. This is the base of the lasagna.
- Start with the layers:
- Pasta (the first one is the base)
- Besciamella
- Ham/ Prosciutto
- Mozzarella
- Parmesan
- And then again pasta…
Continue layer after layer until you finish the ingredients
The last layer should be of Ham/ Prosciutto and parmesan.
TIPS
YOU ARE THE CHEF!
The chef generally adjusts the ingredients according to his style and taste. There’s no unique recipe. Every family and person has his favorite version of every dish. I suggest you add your personal touch to the recipe. How? You’ll see below.
LASAGNE: COOKING TIME
Put the oven at 180/ 200 degrees for 35/ 40 minutes. Cover the casserole with aluminum paper to keep the humidity inside for 15 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, check with a fork if the lasagna has softened inside.
ADJUST TO YOUR TASTE
Remember that Parmesan is a fundamental ingredient to build the final taste of the dish, so spread it generously at every layer. The same applies to mozzarella.
VARIATIONS
Do you want to give more personality to this dish? You can add mushrooms or artichokes, or zucchini, for instance. Pre-cook them in a pan with garlic and olive oil. Once cooked, add parsley. Spread them as an additional layer with your ham.
THE GROCERY LIST TO COOK LASAGNE
FOR THE BESCIAMELLA
- Flour 00 (100gr)
- Butter (100gr)
- Nutmeg
- Salt
- Whole Fat Milk ( 1 liter)
- If you want to prepare more besciamella use the same proportions.
LASAGNE COMPOSITION
- 5/ 8 mozzarella( I would get even 10 just to be sure I don’t run out of mozzarella and have some extra to put on the top)
- 300/ 400gr of ham or Italian Prosciutto Cotto.
- 4 packs of grated parmesan ( I’d buy 2 more for extra flavors and be sure to have enough)
- 2 boxes of Egg lasagna
LOOKING FOR MORE?
CHECK HERE FOR OTHER WAYS TO COOK LASAGNE. THE RECIPES WILL BE SOON ON OUR BLOG!
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
What many consumers don’t realize is something that people living millennia ago in ancient Greece took for granted; extra virgin olive oil, all by itself, is one of the best beauty secrets. First, Olive Oil is a natural, hypoallergenic skin moisturizer.
Furthermore, virgin olive oil has the advantage of providing potent antioxidants, including vitamin E and vitamin K. These vitamins help repair and renew skin damaged from overexposure to sun and air pollution. Other modern-day environmental hazards like cigarette smoke and fast food create aging effects on the skin. The nutrients in olive oil naturally stimulate cells and return skin to a firmer, smoother, and healthier state.
Let’s provide a slightly more scientific explanation. Skin damage is related to the destructive activity of oxygen-related free radicals produced by skin cells. Polyphenolic components of olive oil are like the traditional antioxidants, such as tocopherols, used by the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry to prevent skin damage. There are several simple and inexpensive ways to get the best skincare and beauty benefits from a single bottle of extra virgin olive oil. The rich emollients in olive oil allow just a little to go a long way.
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