Tony's Table: Pasta al Forno Vio Vincenzo

NEW YORK (CBS 2) -- A taste of Sicily.

That's what CBS 2's Tony Tantillo brought to the table as Chef Don Pintabona of Valentino's on the Green joined him in-studio on Sunday morning.

Together, the two cooked up Pintabona's Pasta al Forno Vio Vincenzo.

Ingredients

2 boxes ( 16oz.)       Lasagna , boiled ( use box instructions)
½ lb.                            Mortadella, thinly sliced
½ lb.                            Prosciutto, thinly sliced, trimmed of fat
4 each                          Hard boiled eggs , chopped fine
2 each  (16 oz.)        Smoked Mozzarella, cubed
2 quarts                      Homemade Tomato Sauce
1 lb.                              ground beef, ( ground round)
1 lb.                              ground pork
½ lb.                            Parmigiano Reggiano
½ 1b.                           Pecorino Romano, grated
1 bunch                      Parsley , chopped, grated
1 bunch                      Basil , Chiffonade
Fresh Cracked black pepper to taste

Method

1.    In a large sauté pan, add the pork and beef with a little olive oil, salt & pepper, and sauté until no longer pink, about 3-4 minutes. Then set aside to cool.
2.    In a deep, rectangular lasagna pan, add a thin layer of sauce to the bottom, then layer the lasagna strips evenly across the bottom of the pan to cover entire surface, about 8 sheets of lasagna.
3.    Sprinkle ¼ of the cooked chop meat mixture over this, then lay out about 8 slices of mortadella on top, then sprinkle a layer of cubed mozzarella & grated cheeses, and top everything with a layer of tomato sauce.
4.    Repeat with another layer of 8 lasagna sheets to cover, then do a layer of prosciutto, mozzarella, grated cheeses, chopped herbs, chopped meat and tomato sauce. Finish this layer with ½ of the chopped boiled eggs.
5.    Repeat with another layer of lasagna, remaining prosciutto and mortadella, grated cheeses, chopped herbs, chopped eggs, mozzarella, chop meat & sauce.
6.    Repeat with the last layer of lasagna, chop meat, grated cheeses, mozzarella and a thin layer of tomato sauce. Sprinkle top layer with chopped parsley and basil, and fresh cracked black pepper.
7.    Cover with aluminum foil and baked in a preheated 375 degree oven for about ½ hour until cheeses melt nicely and ingredients meld. Try not to let the aluminum foil touch the top layer of lasagna or the cheeses will stick when you uncover.
8.    Uncover and let cool and set for about ½ hour before cutting so lasagna can absorb the liquid released by the cheeses.

Note : There is no salt in this recipe because the cheeses and meats should be salty enough to balance the flavors.

Yield : Recipe makes 15 main course portions  ( cut 5 x 3 )