Lasagna (beef Or Veggie) Recipe
Make Lasagna (beef Or Veggie) Recipe in just 1h 30m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Meat Sauce (choose beef or veggie)
Cheese Filling
Pasta & Assembly
Method
Meat Sauce (choose beef or veggie)
- 1
Prepare aromatics
Heat a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil. When shimmering, add chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.
- 2
Cook protein or vegetables
If using ground beef: add ground beef to the pan, break up with a spoon, and cook until browned and no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed. If making the veggie version: add 1 lb finely chopped mushrooms and 1 cup cooked brown or green lentils (or 1 can drained) and sauté until mushrooms release liquid and begin to brown, about 8 minutes.
- 3
- 4
Build the sauce
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to deepen flavor. Add crushed tomatoes and stock, stirring to combine. Add dried oregano, dried basil, sugar, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer.
- 5
Simmer
Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, 20–30 minutes to meld flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning. If sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered until thicker; if too thick, add a splash more stock or water.
Cheese Filling
- 6
Combine cheeses
In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 3/4 cup of the grated parmesan, 2 cups of shredded mozzarella (reserve 1 cup for topping), chopped parsley, salt, black pepper and nutmeg if using. Mix until smooth and evenly combined.
- 7
Adjust texture
If the ricotta mixture is very thick, stir in 1–2 tablespoons of milk to reach a spreadable consistency.
Pasta & Assembly
- 8
Prep noodles
If using regular lasagna noodles, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook noodles 1–2 minutes less than package directions so they finish cooking in the oven. Drain and lay flat on a sheet lightly oiled to prevent sticking. If using oven-ready noodles, skip the boiling step.
- 9
Preheat oven and prepare pan
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil or nonstick spray.
- 10
Assemble lasagna
Spread about 1 cup of meat (or veggie) sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan to prevent sticking. Place a single layer of 3–4 lasagna noodles over the sauce, overlapping slightly. Spread one-third of the ricotta cheese mixture evenly over the noodles (about 1 cup). Spoon about 1–1 1/4 cups of sauce over the cheese and spread evenly. Sprinkle about 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella and 2 tablespoons grated parmesan over the sauce. Repeat two more layers (noodles, ricotta, sauce, cheeses). Finish with a final layer of noodles, the remaining sauce (about 1–1 1/4 cups), the reserved 1 cup shredded mozzarella and the remaining parmesan on top. Scatter fresh basil leaves if using.
- 11
Cover for baking
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil (spritz underside of foil with a little cooking spray or ensure foil doesn't stick to cheese) and bake in preheated oven 25 minutes.
- 12
- 13
Rest and serve
Remove from oven and let lasagna rest 10–15 minutes before slicing to set layers. Cut into 8–12 portions and serve hot.