Lasagna

Lasagna is a labor of love and worth it. This recipe is one of my favorites and I am so excited to share it with you. It uses both Italian sausage and ground beef in a rich and luscious tomato sauce. I layer lasagna noodles with meaty tomato sauce, fluffy ricotta mixture, creamy bechamel sauce, top it with lots of mozzarella and parmesan.

What you get is an impressive Italian casserole, made from the heart and full of flavor. You’ll be proud when you serve this restaurant-quailty lasagna!

Are you a dyed in the wool lasagna lover? I totally am!! I hope you’ll try our chicken alfredo lasagna with the most amazing béchamel sauce, for a fusion experience our buffalo chicken lasagna, for a quicker take on the classic our lasagna casserole, and for a hands-off all-day dinner, our crockpot lasagna!

LASAGNA INGREDIENTS

• Salt + Black pepper: Table salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• Ground Beef: I use 20% fat ground round.
• Italian Sausage: Mild sausage adds so much flavor to the sauce.
• Onion: Yellow onion for nutty sweetness.
• Garlic Cloves: Fresh garlic for that expected Italian flavor.
• Italian Seasoning: This mix has all the essential spices for the sauce.
• White Wine: Reducing a nice dry wine adds another level of flavor.
• Crushed Tomatoes: I use Marzano tomatoes, the gold standard in tomatoes.
• Tomato Sauce: This adds additional volume to the sauce.
• Tomato Paste: So much concentrated tomato flavor in this little can.
• Sugar: The sugar balances the acidity in the sauce.
• Lasagna Noodles: Dry pasta, cooked al dente.
• Butter: Part of making the roux. I use unsalted.
• All-Purpose Flour: The necessary ingredient for the roux, cooked in butter. This is the foundation of a good white sauce.
• Milk makes the bechamel rich and creamy.
• Tabasco Sauce: A little punch is nice.
• Ground Nutmeg: Nutmeg gives the bechamel a warm nutty flavor.
• Whole Milk Ricotta: For a rich layer of creaminess, I use whole milk ricotta.
• Eggs: Large eggs stabilize or bind the ricotta mixture.
• Parmesan Cheese: This dry-aged cheese adds a salty nutty flavor.
• Mozzarella: A stretchy cheese when melted, this mild cheese is quintessential Italian.
• Fresh Basil Leaves: The freshness of basil is the perfect herb for this classic Italian dish. 

TIPS

• Sauce: This lasagna recipe comes with a delicious meaty sauce. If you’re a regular reader of our blog, and your’re familiar with our Sunday Gravy, feel free to substitute the meaty sauce with it. I always have enough Sunday sauce in my fridge to use in this amazing. It’s wonderful with either sauce, but the Sunday gravy….OMG!
• Pan Size: Also make sure when you make this that you use a pan that has the depth to accommodate it.  The pan I use is  9 X 13 inches and is over 3 inches deep.  The standard pyrex baking dish is not deep enough.
• Keep Them Separate! Once the lasagna noodles are cooked, I separate them and lay them out, so they don’t stick together.  You will thank me later for this tip.
• Let It Rest: When cooking casseroles like lasagna, always let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.  The ingredients need time to settle.  Otherwise, the dish may be soupy when serving.

SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS

I like to serve this with a simple green salad tossed with our balsamic vinaigrette, our 1905 salad, pizza salad, or our fully loaded Mediterranean salad.

If you’d prefer to serve this with a cooked vegetables, we’ve got you covered! We love lasagna with our simple roasted peppers, sauteed asparagus with tons of sweet garlic, roasted broccoli, candied carrots or honey glazed carrots (both of these are my most requested veggies), or roasted green beans loaded with pancetta and sweet roasted shallots!

In our home, a meal isn’t complete without a side of bread! We love copycat Olive Garden bread sticks, truly amazing garlic bread, or yummy garlic and herb parker house rolls.

Top everything with my tiramisu, strawberry tiramisu, or little, incredibly amazing, Italian Christmas cookies, Italian wedding cookies, or ricotta cookies!

STORING + FREEZING + MAKE-AHEAD

• How Long Can You Keep This in The Fridge? Once made, your Lasagna will last up to three days. I suggest eating it soon or freezing it. The texture of the noodles will change as it absorbs the moisture of the other ingredients.
• How To Reheat: To reheat, place in the oven at 350 degrees until heated through.  You can also reheat in the microwave, but the texture will not be as good as oven-heating. You may need more sauce as the lasagna may be dry after a day or so.
• Can You Freeze This? This dish can be frozen. Start with an aluminum pan or freezer safe dish for safe freezing. Once fully cooked and cooled, wrap in plastic, then foil, label, and freeze for up to three months.  When ready to eat, fully thaw, bake (350ºF until heated through), and enjoy! Here’s an article, from Epicurious, on the proper way to wrap in plastic wrap and it really makes a HUGE difference!
• Make-Ahead Tips: I feel that this dish is best right out of the oven. With time, the pasta absorbs moisture from the other layers in the dish. As a result, the lasagna noodles may be too soft, and the rest of the dish will be a little dry.
• Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.

HOW TO MAKE LASAGNA

1. At the bottom of the baking dish, spread 1 cup of the meat sauce.
2. Arrange a single layer of lasagna noodles
3. Evenly spread 1/2 of all the ricotta mixture;
4. 1/3 of the bechamel sauce;
5. and 1/2 of the remaining meat sauce.
6. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets.
7. Evenly spread the second half of the ricotta mixture;
8. 1/3 of the bechamel;
9. and the remaining 1/2 of the remaining meat sauce.
10. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets.
11. Top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese.
12. Bake and serve.

***See the full instructions below.

MORE ITALIAN BAKED PASTAS

• ​Stuffed Shells
• Baked Ziti With Ricotta
• Baked Ziti With Meat
• Meatless Baked Ziti
• Million Dollar Spaghetti
• Baked Spaghetti With Cream Cheese
• Chicken Tetrazzini
• Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
• Baked Rigatoni

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Lasagna

This lasagna is layered with lasagna noodles, meaty tomato sauce, fluffy ricotta mixture, creamy bechamel sauce, topped with lots of mozzarella and parmesan!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Author: Kathleen

Ingredients

• ▢ salt
• ▢ black pepper

Meat Sauce:

• ▢ 1 pound ground beef, 80/20
• ▢ 1 pound Italian sausage, casing removed
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
• ▢ 1 heaping tablespoon garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1 cup white wine
• ▢ 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• ▢ 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• ▢ 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sugar

Pasta:

• ▢ 16 ounces lasagna noodles cooked to al dente

Bechamel Sauce:

• ▢ 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• ▢ 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 4 cups whole milk, at room temperature
• ▢ 2-4 drops Tabasco sauce
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon dried ground nutmeg

Cheese Mixture:

• ▢ 24 ounces whole milk ricotta
• ▢ 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ▢ 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• ▢ 16 ounces Mozzarella, shredded
• ▢ 1 1/2 Cups fresh basil leaves, julienned

Topping:

• ▢ 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
• ▢ 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter cut into 1/4 inch pieces

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make The Red Sauce:

• In a large pot, over medium-high heat, brown and crumble the ground beef (1 pound) and Italian sausage (1 pound). While meats are browning, season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and Italian seasoning (1 tablespoon). Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave drippings in the pot.
• Add onion (1 1/2 cups) to the pot then cook until onion is translucent. Add garlic (1 heaping tablespoon) and continue to cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in wine (1 cup), digging down to the bottom of the pan to lift up any brown bits. Bring to a boil, and continue to cook until reduced by half.
• Stir in crushed tomatoes (1 can), tomato paste (2 cans), tomato sauce (1 can), and sugar (2 tablespoons). Return browned meats to pot. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Pasta:

• In a large pot, cook lasagna noodles (16 ounces) according to box instructions, in water with 2 tablespoons of salt, until al dente. Drain pasta well. Separate lasagna noodles and dry.

Make Bechamel:

• In a 2-quart pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour (1/2 cup) and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk (4 cups), whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
• Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth, and creamy about 10 minutes. Add hot sauce (2-4 drops) and blend. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon), salt, and black pepper to taste.

Cheese Mixture:

•  In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix all ingredients.

Assemble:

• Arrange an oven shelf to the center position. Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Spray a double-width sheet of foil, long enough to cover the finished lasagna with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. (The foil needs to be double-width to cover the width of the baking dish).
• Into the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup of the meat sauce. Arrange a single layer of lasagna noodles side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread 1/2 of all the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the bechamel sauce, and 1/2 of the remaining meat sauce.
• Arrange another layer of pasta sheets. Evenly spread the second half of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the bechamel, and the remaining 1/2 of the remaining meat sauce.
• Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. Cut the butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top of the lasagna. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the lasagna dish on top, cover with foil sprayed with non-stick spray, and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until the top is bubbling, about 40-50 minutes or until hot through the center. Remove the cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes.

  If the top isn't brown enough, put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes, but don't leave it unattended as it might burn. Watch it closely!

  Once baked allow lasagna to rest on a wire baker's rack for 15 minutes before slicing and serving!!

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  Cannelloni Recipe
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  Mostaccioli
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Notes

1. Sauce: This lasagna recipe comes with a delicious meaty sauce. If you’re a regular reader of our blog, and your’re familiar with our Sunday Gravy, feel free to substitute the meaty sauce with it. I always have enough Sunday sauce in my fridge to use in this amazing. It’s wonderful with either sauce, but the Sunday gravy….OMG!
2. Pan Size: Also make sure when you make this that you use a pan that has the depth to accommodate it.  The pan I use is  9 X 13 inches and is over 3 inches deep.  The standard pyrex baking dish is not deep enough.
3. Keep Them Separate! Once the lasagna noodles are cooked, I separate them and lay them out, so they don’t stick together.  You will thank me later for this tip.
4. Let It Rest: When cooking casseroles like lasagna, always let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.  The ingredients need time to settle.  Otherwise, the dish may be soupy when serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 873kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 199mg | Sodium: 996mg | Potassium: 614mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1364IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 703mg | Iron: 3mg

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