Lasagna Recipe

Prepare aromatics

Heat a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil. Dice the yellow onion finely (about 1 cup) and add to the pan; sauté 5–6 minutes until translucent. Add the 4 minced garlic cloves and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

Brown meat

Increase heat to medium-high. Add 1 lb ground beef and 0.5 lb Italian sausage to the pan. Break up the meat with a spoon and cook until browned and no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if there is more than 1 tbsp.

Build the sauce

Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to deepen flavor. Pour in 0.5 cup red wine (if using) and scrape up any browned bits; simmer 2 minutes to reduce. Add 28 oz crushed tomatoes and 8 oz tomato sauce. Season with 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried parsley, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp sugar (if using). Stir to combine.

Simmer

Bring sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Partially cover and simmer 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and flavors meld. Taste and adjust salt/pepper as needed.

Mix ricotta filling

In a medium bowl combine 15 oz ricotta cheese, 1 egg, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir until smooth and cohesive. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

If using regular lasagna noodles (not no-boil), bring 8 cups water and 1 tbsp salt to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add the 12 lasagna noodles and cook according to package directions until al dente (usually 8–10 minutes). Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Drain noodles and lay them flat on a lightly oiled sheet pan or towel to prevent sticking. If using no-boil noodles, skip this step.

Preheat and prepare pan

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with a little olive oil or nonstick spray.

Layer 1

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

Layer 2

Place 3–4 lasagna noodles over the sauce in a single layer (slightly overlapping is fine). If using no-boil noodles, arrange them directly on the sauce.

Layer 3

Spoon and spread about one-third of the ricotta mixture (roughly 1/3 of the bowl) evenly over the noodles. Then sprinkle about 1 cup shredded mozzarella on top of the ricotta layer.

Repeat

Add another 1 to 1 1/2 cups meat sauce, another layer of 3–4 noodles, one-third ricotta mixture and 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat a third time: noodles, remaining ricotta, and 1 cup mozzarella. Finish with a final layer of meat sauce spread evenly across the top and sprinkle 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and the remaining mozzarella if any (reserve about 1/4–1/2 cup to brown the top).

Cover and bake

Cover the pan tightly with foil (tent foil slightly so it doesn't stick to the cheese) and bake in the preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15–20 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.

Rest and garnish

Remove the lasagna from the oven and let rest for 10–15 minutes to set (this makes slicing cleaner). Garnish with fresh basil leaves torn or whole as desired. Slice into 8–12 portions and serve.