From The Godfather · 1972 · Reconstructed
Connie's Wedding Lasagna
Serve when
Set it out on the buffet trays the moment the band strikes up in the courtyard — this is what the whole neighborhood is eating while Vito works in the dark study.
In the movie
Theatrical
- ~00:15:00 At Connie's wedding reception, trays of lasagna circulate among the guests — Don Corleone, receiving well-wishers in his study, is asked by Bonasera's mirror scene of hospitality, 'You like your lasagna?'
The wedding that opens the film runs on trays of lasagna, capocollo and prosciutto sandwiches, and abundance as a show of the family's reach — while, in the dark of his study, Vito conducts business one favor at a time. It's the plainest dish at Connie's wedding and also the most pointed: a family so comfortable it can afford to feed the whole neighborhood in the yard while deciding people's fates a room away. This is a reconstruction of a standard Italian-American wedding lasagna — the film shows it on the trays and names it in passing dialogue, but publishes no recipe of its own.
Ingredients
Method
- Boil the lasagna noodles until just shy of al dente (they'll finish cooking in the oven), then lay them flat on oiled sheets so they don't stick together.
- Brown the beef and sausage together with the onion and garlic. Drain excess fat, then stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and oregano. Simmer 30 minutes.
- Beat the ricotta with the egg and a handful of chopped basil.
- Layer in a deep baking dish: sauce, noodles, ricotta, mozzarella — repeat until the dish is full, finishing with a heavy layer of mozzarella and parmesan on top.
- Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 45 minutes; uncover and bake 15 minutes more until bubbling and browned at the edges.
- Rest at least 15 minutes before cutting into squares generous enough for a wedding tray.
Beyond the recipe
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