Three-cheese Lasagna With Meat Sauce Recipe
Make Three-cheese Lasagna With Meat Sauce 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 Mixture and Topping
Pasta & Assembly
Method
Meat Sauce
- 1
Prepare aromatics
Heat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil (2 tbsp). When shimmering, add the chopped onion, grated carrot, and chopped celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
- 2
Brown the meat
Increase heat to medium-high and add the ground beef and ground pork. Break the meat up with a spoon and cook until no longer pink and some brown bits form, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if the pan is very greasy, leaving a tablespoon for flavor.
- 3
Build the sauce
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes to caramelize. If using, pour in the red wine, scrape up browned bits, and simmer 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly. Add the crushed tomatoes (28 oz can) and tomato sauce (1 cup). Stir in dried oregano, dried basil, bay leaf, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- 4
Simmer and finish
Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, 25–35 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and to meld flavors. If the sauce thickens too much, add a few tablespoons of water. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley just before assembling lasagna. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
Cheese Mixture and Topping
- 5
Make ricotta mixture
In a medium bowl combine the ricotta cheese (2 cups), egg (1), 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 cup of the grated Parmesan. Mix until smooth and homogenous. Stir in half of the chopped fresh basil leaves if using. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- 6
Prepare mozzarella
If using fresh mozzarella, shred or tear into small pieces so it layers evenly. Combine the shredded fresh mozzarella (8 oz) with the part-skim shredded mozzarella (2 cups) in a bowl, reserving about 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella for the final topping.
Pasta & Assembly
- 7
Preheat and prepare pan
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with the melted butter (1 tbsp) or nonstick spray.
- 8
Assemble lasagna - first layer
Spread 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan to prevent sticking. Place a single layer of lasagna noodles (4 noodles, overlapping slightly) over the sauce. If using regular cooked noodles, pat dry to remove excess moisture. If using no-boil noodles, ensure sauce is slightly more liquid to allow noodles to hydrate while baking.
- 9
Assemble lasagna - cheese layer
Spoon about one-third of the ricotta mixture (approx. 2/3 cup) over the noodles and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle about one-third of the combined mozzarella mixture and about 2 tbsp grated Parmesan over the ricotta. Spoon about 1 to 1 1/4 cups meat sauce evenly over the cheeses.
- 10
Repeat layers
Repeat the noodle, ricotta, mozzarella/Parmesan, and meat sauce layering two more times to create three cheese/meat layers. On the final layer, after noodles and remaining meat sauce, sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan evenly on top. Tuck any basil leaves between layers or on top if using.
- 11
- 12
Rest and serve
Allow lasagna to rest for 15–20 minutes out of the oven so it sets for clean slices. Garnish with remaining fresh basil leaves or a sprinkle of chopped parsley. Slice into 8 generous portions and serve.