Lasagne with Herbed Buffalo Meatballs, Tomato Sauce, and Mozzarella

This recipe is one of my family's favorites and it works really well as a make-ahead meal. Buffalo can be found at many grocery stores including Safeway, Biggs, Top, Krogers and QFC. If you can't find it in the meat case, it can probably be found in the freezer section. Buffalo costs about the same per pound as organic beef, but it is a much healthier meat (less fat, less cholesterol, high in Omega 3's, no added hormones and no chance of mad cow disease).


Meatballs
2 slices white sandwich bread (crusts discarded), torn into small pieces. *For gluten free use about 4 teaspoons of corn meal
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 pound ground buffalo meat
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley leaves
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper
About 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil for pan-frying

Tomato Sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves
salt and ground black-pepper

Also...
1 tablespoon salt
1 pound fresh pasta sheets or 18 dried lasagna noodles *gluten free lasagna noodles can be found at various grocery stores including PCC
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup grated Parmesan (4oz.)

Make-Ahead Preparation
1.) For the meatballs: Combine bread and buttermilk in small bowl, mashing occasionally with fork, until smooth paste forms, about 10 minutes. For gluten free, mix cornmeal with the buttermilk and let sit for a few minutes until it soaks up the moisture to create a paste.

2.) Place ground buffalo, cheese, parsley, egg yolk, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste in medium bowl. Add bread/cornmeal milk and combine until evenly mixed.



3.) Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in large skillet. Take a handful of meat mixture, and, working directly over skillet, pinch off pieces no larger than a small grape and flatten them slightly. Cooking in batches to avoid overcrowding, carefully drop them into hot oil. Fry, turning once, until evenly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer meatballs to a paper towel on a platter.

4.) For the Sauce: Heat oil with garlic in medium saucepan over medium heat. When garlic starts to sizzle, add tomatoes, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in meatballs and adjust seasonings.

5.) Meanwhile, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large soup kettle. Add 1 tablespoon salt. If cooking fresh pasta, cook three or four noodles at a time until al dente. Gently retrieve them with a large slotted spoon and transfer them to a bowl of ice-cold water for thirty seconds. Then drain the noodles and lay them out of kitchen towels for up to one hour. Repeat the process with three or four more noodles and fresh bowl of ice-cold water. If cooking dried pasta, add all noodles at once and boil until al dente. Drain and soak noodles for 30 seconds in a bowl of ice-cold water, drain them again, and lay them out on kitchen towels for up to one hour.

6.) Grease a 13 by 19-inch pan with cooking spray. Smear several tablespoons of tomato sauce (without meatballs) across pan bottom. Line pan with a layer of pasta, making sure that noodles touch but do not overlap. (If using fresh noodles, cut them to fit with a pair of scissors.). Spread 1 1/2 cups of of tomato sauce and meatballs evently over pasta. Sprinkle evenly with 2/3 cup mozzarella and 2 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan. Repeat layering 3-4 more times. For the final layer, cover pasta with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

7.) Cover lasagna with plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil and place in the freezer for up to one month.

To Serve:
You will need to transfer the lasagna to a refrigerator at least 12 hours in advance before baking. To bake, adjust the rack to the center position and heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until cheese on top turns golden brown in spots and sauce is bubbling, 25-35 minutes. If you have chosen to bake the lasagna right after preparation, the cooking time should take only 20-25 minutes.

Jessica Finger, RD, CD