Arizona chef and restaurateur Joey Maggiore put a breakfast lasagna on the menu at his Hash Kitchen restaurants, where it's become a pairing with the Build-Your-Own Bloody Mary bar to become one of the most decadent hangover meals ever created.
In our recent interview with Maggiore, which focuses on his new book, Brunch King, but also his journey as a first-generation Italian American chef and restaurateur, he praises the ten-layer breakfast lasagna. "It's beautiful and it's gorgeous," he says. "We make a three-meat ragù and fold in ground bacon. We build it up layer to layer with the Béchamel, marinara, cheese, and cream, and put a fried egg on top with the Parmesan. It's delicious, and it's a hangover cure for sure. On a Sunday, get a Bloody Mary and one of these, and you'll be good to go."
Now, thanks to Chef Joey, you can recreate the experience in the kitchen at home just a few steps from another hangover helper: your couch.
See the headnote from Brunch King and the recipe below and read our interview with Joey Maggiore.
My daughter Melina loves traditional lasagna, so I wanted to make something she could enjoy for breakfast. We reinvented this beautiful Italian signature dish for brunch with the addition of bacon and fried eggs.
Excerpted from Brunch King: Eats, Beats, and Boozy Drinks by Joey Maggiore. Photography by Joanie Simon. Copyright 2024. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved.
Ten-Layer Breakfast Lasagna
4
servings30
minutes1
hour5
minutesIngredients
- For the béchamel
1 Tbsp 1 butter
1 Tbsp 1 all-purpose flour
2 cups 2 whole milk
1 cup 1 heavy cream
1 1 ⁄2 tsp kosher salt
1 1 ⁄4 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch white pepper
- For the sausage ragu
1 Tbsp 1 olive oil
1 small 1 white onion, chopped (1⁄2 cup)
1 small 1 carrot, chopped (1⁄3 cup)
1 small 1 fennel bulb, chopped (1⁄3 cup)
1 lb 1 ground Italian sausage
1 Tbsp 1 kosher salt
1 tsp 1 black pepper
2 2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp 1 tomato paste
1 1 (750-mL) bottle red wine (preferably Zinfandel)
1 1 (28-oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
- For the assembly
Cooking spray
1 Tbsp 1 kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
10 10 lasagna sheets
2 2 3⁄4 cups Sausage Ragu (see here)
31 31 ⁄2 cups Béchamel (divided, see here)
2 cups 2 whole milk ricotta (such as Polly-O)
1 cup 1 grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
21 21 ⁄2 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella
8 8 strips bacon
2 tsp 2 olive oil
4 4 eggs
Black pepper
Directions
- For the béchamel
- Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
- Slowly add flour, whisking constantly, until the roux is lightly golden and smells like popcorn. Do not brown.
- Set aside.
- Combine milk and cream in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Whisk in salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Add the roux and whisk continuously.
- Reduce heat to low. Whisk for 2 minutes, until smooth and silky. Remove from heat once the sauce coats the back of a spoon, then set aside.
- Béchamel can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- For the sausage ragu
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and fennel and sauté for 7 minutes, until translucent.
- Add sausage, salt, and pepper and sauté for 10 minutes, until sausage is crumbled and browned. Stir in bay leaves and tomato paste.
- Cook for another 2 minutes.
- Pour in wine and simmer for 10–15 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half. Add tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves.
- For the assembly
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Evenly coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
- Bring a stockpot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta sheets and parboil according to the package’s instructions. Drain, then rinse pasta under cold running water. Lay flat on a dish towel and pat-dry.
- Add 1⁄4 cup sausage ragu to the bottom of the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Top with 1 pasta sheet. Using a rubber spatula, spread 1⁄3 cup béchamel evenly on top of the pasta sheet. Top with another 1⁄4 cup ragu.
- Dollop 3 tablespoons of ricotta on top and sprinkle over 11⁄2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Top with 1⁄4 cup mozzarella. Top with 1 pasta sheet. Repeat, layering béchamel, ragu, ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella to make10 layers.
- Tightly cover with plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until bubbling. Carefully remove plastic and foil. Bake for another 5 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Set aside to rest for at least 15 minutes.
- Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate. Cool slightly, then chop to create a crumble.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add eggs and fry for 21⁄2 minutes for sunny-side-up (or to your desired doneness). Season with salt and pepper.
- Place a portion of lasagna on each plate, then top each serving with an egg and bacon. Spoon remaining béchamel, warmed, over top. Garnish with Parmesan.
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