Half Tray Recipe

Main Lasagna (Half Tray, feeds 10–15)

1. 1

   Prepare the meat sauce

   Heat a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When shimmering, add the chopped onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add ground beef and Italian sausage; break up with a spoon and cook 6–8 minutes until browned and no longer pink. Drain off excess fat if needed, leaving a tablespoon for flavor.

2. 2

   Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and 1 cup water. Add dried oregano, dried basil, dried parsley, salt, pepper and sugar. Bring sauce to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, and simmer, partially covered, for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning.

3. 3

   Prepare the cheese filling

   While the sauce simmers, in a large bowl combine ricotta cheese, eggs, grated Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt (portion of total), 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (portion of total) and chopped fresh parsley. Mix until smooth and set aside.

4. 4

   Preheat oven and assemble

   Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a half-sheet lasagna pan (approximately 9x13 or half tray) with nonstick spray or a little olive oil. Spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce evenly across the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.

5. 5

   Arrange a single layer of 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce (for oven-ready, use as-is; if using regular noodles, boil according to package and drain before layering). Spoon and spread about one-third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles in an even layer (about 1 1/3 cups). Sprinkle approximately 1 1/2 cups (24 oz) of shredded mozzarella evenly over the ricotta. Spoon about 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce over the mozzarella layer.

6. 6

   Repeat the layering: second layer of 4 noodles, one-third ricotta mixture, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, 1 1/2 cups sauce. Top with final 4 noodles, remaining meat sauce spread evenly, and the remaining shredded mozzarella (about 12 oz) sprinkled on top. Reserve a little grated Parmesan (2–3 tbs) to dust the top if desired.

7. 7

   Bake

   Cover the lasagna tightly with aluminum foil (tent the foil slightly so it doesn’t touch cheese). Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10–15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and slightly golden and sauce is simmering at the edges. If you prefer a more browned top, switch to broil for 1–2 minutes watching closely.

8. 8

   Remove lasagna from oven and let rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes to set (this makes cutting cleaner). Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley and remaining grated Parmesan before serving. Cut into 10–15 portions.