fresh pasta dough + a lasagna

Lasagna

Fresh Pasta Dough (recipe below)
1 pound ground beef
1 jar tomato sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 medium carrot, grated
1 large clove garlic
salt

1 1/2 cups ricotta
1 large egg
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
a dash nutmeg
a sprig fresh thyme
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Begin browning beef in a wide pan over medium-high heat. When meat is barely pink in the center add garlic and grated carrot and reduce the heat to medium. Season with salt.

Pour jar of tomato sauce into the meat mixture, and reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally.  Pan should be at a low simmer.

While the sauce is cooking combine ricotta, egg, Parmesan, thyme, and nutmeg. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.

Divide pasta dough into quarters. Right before assembly, flatten each piece of dough into a flat rectangle, and feed through the widest setting of pasta roller. Decrease pasta roller setting, and feed through again - pasta sheets should be paper thin.

Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce evenly on the bottom of your baking dish, and lay down your first layer of pasta, slightly overlapping each sheet. Alternate layers of pasta, ricotta mixture, mozzarella, and tomato sauce. Top final layer of pasta with remaining tomato sauce, and generously sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly.

Fresh Pasta Dough

2 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
3 large eggs, room temperature
pinch of salt

Add all ingredients to bowl of food processor and pulse until a sticky dough just begins forming.

Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Form into a ball, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours before use.