4 Gadget Lasagna

I have enjoyed cooking since I was in Home Economics class in high school. That was where I first learned to pressure cook! I love experimenting with new contraptions/gadgets in my small kitchen and I manage to find places for new kitchen toys. I started making pressure cooked lasagna when I got my Ninja Foodi (gadget #1) quite a few years ago. For this recipe, I will show you how I made my homemade lasagna noodles for the first time with the pasta rolling attachment (gadget #2) for my Kitchen Aid Mixer (gadget #3). I hoped the fresh pasta sheets would cook as well as the store bought lasagna noodles. Gadget #4 is my quick hand cranking shredder for my cheese. You can follow along to see how to make my lasagna.

For the cheese:

Hand shredder

plate or bowl

1 (8-ounce) block mozzarella cheese

sharp knife

My shredder is one of my favorite gadgets! It is really fast and easy to use! It also slices!

First, cut the cheese into pieces to fit the top of the shredder. Place one piece in the holder at the top. Cover the cheese with the gray "pusher". As you crank, push down and after a couple of turns, the piece is shredded. Repeat with the remaining pieces of cheese. The recipe needs 1 cup of mozzarella, but, I just crank and shred the entire block. Place the cheese in a zip-locking baggie. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Kitchen Aid Mixer

flat beater

dough hook

spatula

pasta sheet roller attachment

mat for work surface

1 cup measure

1/4 cup measure

tablespoon measure

1/2 teaspoon measure

wax paper

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon water

Attach the flat beater to the mixer. Add flour and salt to the mixing bowl. Carefully combine the flour and the salt. If you mix too quickly, it will make a mess! Add the eggs and oil. Mix until well blended using the #2 speed setting. Add the 1 tablespoon of water and mix it in. Scrape off the flat beater and replace it with the dough hook.

Place the mixer on speed 2. Mix and time it for 2 minutes.

Place the dough on the work surface. Knead the dough by pressing with the heel of your hand, folding it over and turning it. Do this for 2 minutes. Wrap in wax paper. Place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. In the meantime, make the sauce.

10-inch skillet

spoon, spatula or other mixing tool

8-ounces Italian sausage, mild or hot

8-ounces ground beef

1 (24-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Remove the casings from the sausage and discard. Place sausage and ground beef in the skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir, breaking up the pieces as it cooks. When browned, drain off the fat.

Add the spaghetti sauce, basil and oregano to the cooked meat in the skillet. Stir to blend and set aside.

Remove the side pin and front cover from the front of the mixer. Push on and attach the pasta sheet attachment. Replace the side pin and turn until tightened.

Cut the pasta into 4 sections. Flatten one dough section. Place the pasta roller on the #1 width which is the widest. Set the mixer to speed 2. Feed the dough through the pasta roller, catching it as it comes through. Fold it and feed it though again. Change the width from #1 to #2. Feed it through the pasta roller 2 times. You can cut it if it gets too long. Change the roller to #3. Feed the dough through again. Set it on the wax paper, cutting it in half if necessary. Cover with waxed paper. Repeat rolling steps with the remaining 3 sections of dough and cover each layer with waxed paper.

1 1/2 cups water

Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker or similar gadget

cooking spray

7-inch springform pan

1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (reserve the leftover shredded cheese for another use, or munch on it!)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, divided

1 egg

rack to fit the bottom of the pressure cooker pot (mine is silicone)

silicone lid or aluminum foil

Pour the water into the pressure cooker pot.

Spray the bottom and sides of the springform pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.

Spoon about 1/2 cup of the sauce over the bottom of the springform pan.

Cover the sauce completely with pasta sheets, cutting pieces when necessary.

Roughly divide the remaining sauce into thirds. Cover pasta with 1/3 of the sauce.

Cover the sauce with 1/2 of the ricotta mixture.

Add another layer of pasta sheets, 1/3 of the sauce and remaining ricotta mixture. Top with another layer of pasta and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.

Put the springform pan onto the rack. Add the rack to the pot of the pressure cooker. Cover the lasagna with a silicone lid or foil. Attach the pressure lid. Pressure cook on hi power for 25 minutes. Allow the pressure to drop for 10 minutes. Release remaining pressure. Remove the cover. Blot off any water on the silicone lid (or foil) that covers the lasagna, then remove the lid.

Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Leave uncovered.

Close the crisping lid. Set to broil for 3 minutes.

Carefully remove the rack with the lasagna. Place the lasagna on a serving plate. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen. Remove the springform sides.

Cut into wedges and serve. Makes 4 to 6 servings

I had leftover pasta sheets so I decided to use my spaghetti attachment with my mixer to make spaghetti noodles. I have a handy rack for hanging the freshly cut noodles on. (Another gadget!) You just run the pasta sheet through the spaghetti attachment and it cuts the sheet into spaghetti noodles. Boil water, then add the spaghetti. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 or 3 minutes. I always taste a spaghetti noodle to check it for doneness.

I actually hadn't made fresh pasta in quite some time, and I found it to be really fun! The lasagna noodles cooked perfectly and so did the spaghetti! I hope you give my lasagna recipe a try, with or without fresh pasta. Store bought lasagna noodles work very well and are featured in the recipe below. I assume it could also be made in the oven. I hope you try it!!

Ninja Foodi Lasagna

8 ounces ground beef

8 ounces Italian sausage without casings

1 (24-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 egg

6 no-boil lasagna noodles

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 1/2 cups water

Brown ground beef and sausage in a large skillet. Drain off fat.

Stir in spaghetti sauce, basil and oregano.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and egg.

Spray springform 7-inch pan with no-stick cooking spray, Spoon about 1/2 cup sauce

mixture over bottom of pan. Break 2 lasagna noodles to fit the pan, covering the sauce.

Spoon on 1/3 of the remaining sauce, followed by 1/2 of the ricotta mixture. Repeat

with 2 broken noodles, 1/3 sauce and 1/2 of the ricotta. Top with 2 more broken noodles

and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Pour the water in the Ninja pot. Place the springform pan on the bottom of a 2 level rack.

Carefully place the rack with the lasagna into the Ninja pot. Cover with either a

silicone lid or loosely cover with foil.

Use pressure cooker lid. Pressure cook on HI power for 25 minutes. Use natural

release for 10 minutes. Release any remaining pressure.

Blot any water from silicone cover or foil and remove. Sprinkle top with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Close crisping lid. Broil for 3 minutes.

Carefully remove rack with lasagna. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Run a knife around the edge. Remove the springform sides.

Cut into wedges. Serves 4 to 6

Helpful Hint: The electric pressure cooker has a hi pressure and a low pressure setting. If you have trouble with recipes like fresh spaghetti sauce or chili burning in the bottom of the pot, try setting the pressure cooker to low pressure instead of hi pressure. Set the cooking time for about 50% longer.