Lasagna

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

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword pasta casserole recipes, The Best Ever Lasagna

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings servings

Calories 873kcal

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!!

Notes

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.

Nutrition