Baked Lasagna Recipe
Make Baked Lasagna Recipe in just 2h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Meat Sauce
Cheese Filling
Assembly & Topping
Method
Meat Sauce
- 1
Cook aromatics and brown meat
Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil. When shimmering, add chopped onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Add ground beef and Italian sausage (if using). Break meat up with a spoon and cook until no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if the pan is very greasy, leaving a little for flavor.
- 2
Build the sauce
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to caramelize slightly. Add the red wine (if using) and scrape any browned bits from the bottom; simmer 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir in dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, sugar, salt, black pepper and the bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and flavors meld. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Remove and discard bay leaf before assembly.
Cheese Filling
- 3
Prepare ricotta mixture
In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, beaten egg, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, chopped parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir until smooth and well combined. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
Assembly & Baking
- 4
Preheat and prepare pan
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or butter.
- 5
Assemble lasagna
Spread 1 cup of the meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared dish to prevent sticking. Arrange a layer of 3–4 lasagna noodles over the sauce (overlap slightly if needed). Spread about one-third of the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles. Spoon about one-third of the meat sauce over the ricotta, then sprinkle 1 to 1 1/3 cups shredded mozzarella. Repeat: second layer of 3–4 noodles, one-third ricotta, one-third meat sauce, 1 to 1 1/3 cups mozzarella. Top with remaining 3–4 noodles, spread remaining meat sauce evenly over the top layer, then top with remaining mozzarella and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Smooth the top with a spatula.
- 6
Bake
Cover the dish tightly with foil (spray underside of foil with nonstick spray or tent so cheese doesn't stick). Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15–20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly and edges are bubbling. If you want a browned top, broil 1–2 minutes watching closely.
- 7
Rest and serve
Remove lasagna from oven and let rest uncovered for 15 minutes to set (this makes slicing cleaner). Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired. Serve slices warm.