Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Rest Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 8-10
Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced • 4 cloves garlic, minced • 1.5 lbs (680g) ground beef, 85% lean • 1 lb (450g) Italian sausage, casings removed • 2 cans (28 oz / 800g each) crushed tomatoes • 1 can (6 oz / 170g) tomato paste • 1/2 cup water • 2 tbsp granulated sugar • 3 tsp dried basil • 1 tsp dried oregano • 1 tsp salt • 1/2 tsp black pepper • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional) • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
For the Cheese Mixture: - 32 oz (900g) ricotta cheese, whole milk • 1 large egg • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped • 1/2 tsp salt • 1/4 tsp black pepper • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
For Assembly: - 12-15 lasagna noodles, regular or oven-ready • 4 cups (450g) shredded mozzarella cheese, low-moisture • 1 cup (100g) grated Parmesan cheese, for topping Instructions
Step 1: Make the Meat Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and cook 5-6 minutes until softened. 2. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. 3. Add ground beef and Italian sausage. Break up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned, about 8-10 minutes. Drain excess fat. 4. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to deepen flavor. 5. Add crushed tomatoes, water, sugar, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir well. 6. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover partially and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in fresh parsley at the end.
Step 2: Prepare the Cheese Mixture - In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, 1/2 cup Parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. 2. Mix until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
Step 3: Cook the Noodles (if not using oven-ready) - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook lasagna noodles for 8 minutes until al dente. 2. Drain and lay flat on parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Step 4: Assemble the Lasagna - Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). 2. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce on bottom of a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) glass baking dish. 3. Layer 3-4 noodles over sauce, slightly overlapping. 4. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over noodles. 5. Top with 1 cup mozzarella, then 1.5 cups meat sauce. 6. Repeat layers two more times: noodles → ricotta → mozzarella → meat sauce. 7. For the final layer, place noodles, remaining meat sauce, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1 cup Parmesan cheese.
Step 5: Bake - Cover tightly with foil, making sure it doesn’t touch the cheese. 2. Bake for 25 minutes covered. 3. Remove foil and bake another 25-30 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden brown with crispy edges. 4. If top is browning too fast, loosely tent with foil.
Step 6: Rest and Serve - This is critical: Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting. This keeps the layers from sliding apart. 2. Cut into squares and serve with extra Parmesan and fresh basil. Pro Tips for Perfect Lasagna • Don’t overcook noodles: Slightly underdone is better since they’ll cook more in the oven. • Drain the meat well: Excess grease makes watery lasagna. • Low-moisture mozzarella: Fresh mozzarella has too much water and makes it soupy. • Make ahead: Assemble 1 day before, cover, and refrigerate. Add 10-15 min to bake time if cold. • Freezing: Bakes beautifully from frozen. Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 60-70 minutes.
