Italian Nonna Shares Her Most Cherished Recipes

ricotta cheese

🥗Healthier: cottage cheese

💰Cheaper: cream cheese

Cottage cheese reduces calories while maintaining creaminess.

mozzarella cheese

🥗Healthier: part-skim mozzarella

💰Cheaper: cheddar cheese

Part-skim mozzarella has less fat while still melting well.

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey is leaner, while ground pork is often cheaper.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grana padano

Nutritional yeast provides a cheesy flavor with fewer calories.

Start by making the limoncello with 9 lemons; peel the lemons carefully without the white part.

Soak the lemon peels in alcohol for 20 days to develop flavor.

After 20 days, boil 1.5 liters of water and add 700 grams of sugar; let it cool.

Combine the cooled sugar water with the alcohol and mix well.

Pour the mixture into bottles and refrigerate before serving.

Prepare the lasagna by making crêpes instead of using pasta sheets.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté chopped onion until golden.

Add tomato sauce and fresh basil to the sautéed onion and mix well.

In another skillet, heat olive oil and add a mix of ground pork and beef; season with salt and mix with hands.

Once the meat is cooked, assemble the lasagna by layering crêpes, meat, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.

Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with a layer of crêpes on top.

Add a touch of tomato sauce and some butter on top for color and crispiness.

Bake the assembled lasagna at 180°C (356°F) for one hour until golden and bubbly.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens