Lasagna Recipe

Prep and sweat aromatics

Heat a large sauté pan or medium pot over medium heat. Add 2 tbs olive oil. When shimmering, add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

Brown the meat

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage to the pan. Break the meat into bite-sized pieces with a spoon or spatula. Cook until no pink remains and meat is nicely browned, about 6–8 minutes. Drain off excess fat or tilt the pan and spoon out fat, leaving a little to coat the pan.

Build the sauce

Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Add dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes, sugar (if using), 1.5 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine.

Simmer

Bring sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Partially cover and simmer gently for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow flavors to meld and sauce to thicken. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or sugar. If using fresh basil, stir in chopped fresh basil in the last 2 minutes of simmering, then remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine 15 oz ricotta, the lightly beaten egg, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 2 tbs chopped parsley, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Mix until smooth and homogenous. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep refrigerated until ready to layer.

Preheat and prepare pan

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly brush a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 tsp olive oil to prevent sticking.

Layer 1

Spread 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce evenly on the bottom of the prepared dish to prevent the noodles from sticking.

Layer 2 - Noodles

Place 4 lasagna noodles in a single layer over the sauce (if using no-boil noodles, follow package spacing; if cooked noodles, drain and pat dry before using).

Layer 3 - Cheese

Dollop about one-third of the ricotta mixture across the noodles and gently spread into an even layer with a spoon or offset spatula. Sprinkle about 1 cup of shredded mozzarella evenly over the ricotta.

Layer 4 - Sauce

Spoon about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce over the cheese layer and spread gently to cover.

Repeat layers

Repeat noodle, ricotta, mozzarella, and meat sauce layers two more times (total three noodle layers). On the topmost layer, finish with remaining sauce, the final 1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan.

Cover and bake

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil (to prevent cheese sticking, tent foil or spray foil lightly with cooking spray so it doesn’t stick to cheese). Bake in the preheated 375°F oven for 25 minutes.

Uncover and finish

Remove foil and bake for an additional 15–20 minutes, until the top is bubbling and golden and internal temperature reaches about 165°F. If you prefer a more browned top, broil for 1–2 minutes watching closely.

Rest and serve

Let the lasagna rest uncovered for 15 minutes to set (this makes slicing clean pieces easier). Garnish with extra chopped parsley or basil if desired, slice into 8–12 portions and serve.