THIS is just how you make lasagna.

Rich and cheesy and easy to throw together on a regular ol’ Wednesday or as a meal for guests.  And the two meats in the meat sauce give it that little extra something that brings this up to a new level of lasagna love.

Don’t let this from-scratch meal intimidate you.  Just think of it like a few bowls and a few layers of goodness.  You can so do this.  Four parts: the noodles, the cheeses (Mozzarella and fresh Parmesan), the tomato/meat sauce, and the Ricotta cheese layer.

Start with the meat sauce. Brown 1 lb. of lean ground beef, 1 lb. of pork sausage, 1 small, diced onion, and 2 cloves of chopped garlic in a large skillet. 

Drain the grease and then add in the following:

• 1 — 30 oz. of tomatoes (I use a quart of canned tomatoes that I quickly pulse in the food processor because my boys don’t like chunks o’ tomatoes)
• 12 oz. tomato paste
• 2 T. of sugar (sugar helps cut the acid from all of the tomatoes)
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 tsp. Italian seasoning (dried spice blend)

Bring this to a boil over medium heat and then drop it to a simmer for at least a half an hour while you prepare the other components.

Bring a big pot of lightly salted water to a boil to cook 12 lasagna noodles a couple minutes less than directed on the package. As soon as they are done, drain the water so they don’t overcook and let them just sit there and relax until you are ready for them.*

In a small bowl, beat two eggs, add in 16 oz. of ricotta cheese, 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 T. dried parsley, and 1 tsp. salt. Mix well.

Now, grate up about 1 lb. of Mozzarella.  I use anywhere from 4-6 cups of freshly grated cheese. Skip the bag o’ cheese; freshly grated is so soft and yummy. I promise, you’ll thank me.  Hold back 1 cup or so to sprinkle on top at the end.

Now you have all of the components ready and it’s time for the fun part — the layers! Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Using a 9×13″ pan add in a bit of meat sauce at the bottom of your dish and then the layers as follows:

• 4 lasagna noodles
• 1/2 of the ricotta mixture
• 1/2 of the Mozzarella
• 1/3 of the meat sauce
• 4 more noodles
• the rest of the ricotta
• the rest of the Mozzarella
• 1/3 more meat sauce
• 4 more noodles
• the rest of the meat sauce
• freshly grated Parmesan

Bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees.  Remove and add the cup of Mozzarella that you set aside.  Broil for 2-3 minute or until melted and beginning to get golden brown.

Pull this beauty out of the oven and let it set for 10 minutes before you cut into it.

That’s it!  Perfect lasagna you’ll make again and again.  It’s also great to make up ahead and either freeze (let it thaw 24-48 hours ahead and bake as usual) or refrigerate for a few days ahead of time for an easy last minute meal.  Just be prepared to add a 10-15 minutes extra bake time if it starts out cold.

So take my advice, and eat lasagna and be a little happier.

(Add some Cheesy, Easy Garlic Breadand you might be a super hero!)

THE Lasagna

 

Print

Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

1 hour 40 mins

 

Classic lasagna filled with layers of sausage, beef, mozzarella, ricotta, and spices baked to lasagna perfection.

Alison: That Which Nourishes

Recipe type: Meal, Dinner, Pasta

Cuisine: American

Serves: 8-10 servings

Grocery List

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. pork sausage
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 30 oz. cooked tomatoes and their juice
• 12 oz. tomato paste
• 2 T. sugar
• 1½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper
• 2 tsp. Italian seasoning spice blend
• 12 lasagna noodles
• 16 oz. ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• ½ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (and a little extra for the top)
• 2 T. parsley
• 1 tsp. salt
• At least 1 lb. Mozzarella (4-6 cups freshly grated)

Here's how...

1. Brown ground beef, sausage onion and garlic in a large skillet. Drain the grease and add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for least 30 minutes to let the flavors marry.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook lasagna noodles as directed on the package. Drain.
3. In a small bowl, beat eggs and add the Ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, and salt. Mix well.
4. Grate Mozzarella cheese.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
6. Begin layering in a 9x13" pan as follows:
7. - 4 noodles
8. -1/2 of the ricotta mixture,
9. -1/2 of the Mozzarella,
10. -1/3 of the meat sauce
11. - 4 more noodles
12. -The other half of the ricotta mixture
13. -The rest of the Mozzerella,
14. -1/3 of the meat sauce
15. - 4 more noodles
16. -The remaining meat sauce.
17. Sprinkle with a little freshly grated Parmesan and bake for 40 minutes.
18. Let it set 10 minutes before cutting into it.

3.5.3226

Adapted from American Lasagna submitted to Allrecipes.com by EthelMertz.

*To shave off a little prep time, you can skip cooking the noodles and put them in dry if you have time to refrigerate the lasagna overnight.  To bake, keep the foil on and increase the bake time to an hour.