Peppino's Meat Lasagna Recipe

Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat.

Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent and soft, about 6–8 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent browning.

Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, stirring so it doesn't burn.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef, ground pork, and removed-sausage meat. Break the meat up with a spatula and cook until no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if there is more than a tablespoon; reserve a tablespoon for flavor if desired.

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

If using, pour in the red wine and scrape up browned bits from the pan; cook until wine has mostly reduced, about 2–3 minutes.

Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, stirring to combine.

Season with chopped basil, oregano, sugar, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Bring sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low.

Partially cover and simmer the sauce for 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. The sauce should be thick and richly flavored.

While the sauce simmers, combine ricotta, the egg, grated Parmesan, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper in a bowl.

Mix thoroughly until smooth and cohesive. Refrigerate until ready to assemble so it firms slightly.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). If using no-boil noodles, verify instructions—no pre-cook is needed; if using regular noodles, cook them in salted boiling water until al dente, drain and separate so they don't stick.

Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish lightly to prevent sticking.

Spread a thin layer (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups) of the meat sauce on the bottom of the prepared dish to prevent noodles from sticking.

Place a single layer of 3–4 lasagna noodles over the sauce, slightly overlapping as needed to cover the bottom.

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

Sprinkle about 1 to 1 1/3 cups of shredded mozzarella over the ricotta layer.

Spoon about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of meat sauce over the cheese, spreading gently to cover.

Repeat the layers two more times: noodles, ricotta mixture, shredded mozzarella, and meat sauce. You should end with a final layer of noodles topped with remaining sauce.

Top the final sauce layer with the remaining shredded mozzarella (reserve sliced mozzarella if using for a prettier top) and, if desired, arrange the mozzarella slices on top. Sprinkle the top with the extra 1/4 cup grated Parmesan.

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil (spritz or tent foil so cheese doesn't stick) and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Remove foil and bake uncovered for an additional 15–20 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and golden and sauce is visibly bubbling at edges.

Let lasagna rest for 15–20 minutes out of the oven to set; this makes slicing clean pieces easier.

Garnish with fresh basil leaves and extra grated Parmesan before serving, if desired.