Name: Capuanos Lasagna Recipe
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 lb ground beef (80/20); 0.5 lb Italian sausage, casings removed (optional); 2 tbsp tomato paste; 28 oz crushed tomatoes; 8 oz tomato sauce; 1 cup water; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp dried basil; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity); 15 oz ricotta cheese; 1 each egg; 0.5 cup parmesan cheese, grated; 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped; 0.5 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper; 12 each lasagna noodles, no-boil or cooked according to package; 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded; 0.25 cup parmesan cheese, grated (for top); 2 tbsp fresh basil or parsley, for garnish

Method

Meat Sauce

Sauté aromatics

Heat a large skillet or medium 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.

Brown meat

Add ground beef and Italian sausage to the pan. Break up with a spoon and cook until fully browned and no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed, leaving about 1 tablespoon for flavor.

Build sauce

Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 1 cup water. Season with dried oregano, dried basil, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp sugar (optional). Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust salt/pepper.

Cheese Filling

Combine cheeses

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, chopped parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir until smooth and uniformly combined. Set aside in refrigerator until ready to assemble.

Assembly & Baking

Preheat oven

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). If using no-boil noodles, ensure your sauce is slightly saucier so noodles hydrate while baking.

Prepare baking dish

Lightly grease a 9x13-inch (or similar) baking dish with a little olive oil or nonstick spray.

First layer

Spread about 1 cup of meat sauce evenly across the bottom of the prepared dish to prevent noodles from sticking.

Layering

Place a single layer of 3–4 lasagna noodles over the sauce (overlap slightly if needed). Spread one-third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles in an even layer. Spoon one-third of the meat sauce over the ricotta, then sprinkle about 1 cup of shredded mozzarella. Repeat this sequence two more times (noodles → ricotta → sauce → mozzarella) to form three layers total. Finish with a final layer of noodles, the remaining meat sauce spread evenly on top, then the remaining mozzarella and 1/4 cup grated parmesan.

Cover and bake

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil (tent foil slightly so it does not touch cheese). Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15–20 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden at edges and internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).

Rest and serve

Remove lasagna from oven and let rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes to set (this makes slicing clean). Garnish with chopped fresh basil or parsley. Slice into 8–12 pieces and serve.