Monster Lasagna Recipe

Heat a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and let warm until shimmering (about 30 seconds).

Add chopped onion, grated carrot, and chopped celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes.

Stir in minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to brown it.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add ground beef and ground pork to the pot. Break meat up with a spoon and cook until browned with no pink remaining, about 6–8 minutes. Spoon off and discard excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon for flavor.

Stir in tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes, stirring, to caramelize and deepen flavor.

Add crushed tomatoes and stock; stir to combine. Bring sauce to a gentle simmer.

Season with dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and sugar (if using). Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 25–30 minutes to meld flavors and thicken slightly.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper. If sauce seems very thick, add up to 2 tablespoons of water or stock; if too thin, simmer uncovered a few more minutes.

While the sauce simmers, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, and the egg in a medium bowl.

Add chopped parsley, chopped basil, grated nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Fold gently until evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning; the mixture should be creamy and slightly seasoned because the sauce will also add salt.

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

Spread about 1 cup of meat sauce in an even layer on the bottom of the prepared dish to prevent sticking.

Arrange 4 no‑boil lasagna noodles in a single layer over the sauce, slightly overlapping if needed.

Spoon and spread one-third of the cheese filling (about 1 cup) evenly over the noodles.

Top the cheese layer with about 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce, spreading gently to cover.

Repeat layering: 4 noodles, one-third cheese filling, 1 1/2 cups meat sauce. Finish with final 4 noodles on top.

Spread the remaining meat sauce evenly over the top layer of noodles. Sprinkle the remaining 3 cups shredded mozzarella and the remaining 1/4 cup grated Parmesan evenly across the top.

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil (spray foil with oil or make sure it does not touch cheese). Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, remove foil and bake an additional 10–12 minutes until the cheese on top is bubbly and golden in spots.

If you prefer a more browned top, switch the oven to broil on high for 1–2 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning.

Remove lasagna from oven and let rest, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes to set (this makes slicing cleaner).

Garnish with fresh basil leaves before slicing into 8–10 generous portions and serve.