Lasagna

Spoon meat sauce on the bottom of a lightly greased casserole dish. Add 4 boiled lasagna noodles (or use no-boil or fresh noodles). Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture on top. Add 1.5 cups of meat sauce.

Repeat the same layers two more times.

Adding layers of noodles, ricotta cheese, and meat sauce to make Lasagna.

Top with grated mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 more minutes. Broil at the end if desired. Let it rest for 15 minutes prior to serving

Cheese Filling

15 oz. ricotta cheese, 2 cups

1 large egg

2 cups mozzarella cheese

¾ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon salt

¼ tsp pepper

Meat Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely diced

¾ lb. ground beef

¾ lb. ground Italian sausage

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup chicken broth

40 oz. marinara sauce, see notes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Lasagna Noodles/ Cheese Topping

▢12 lasagna noodles, plus extra in case of breakage

▢2.5 cups mozzarella cheese

Equipment

1 9 x 13-inch casserole dish

Instructions

Prep Work

Combine the cheese filling ingredients (ricotta, egg, 2 cups of the shredded mozzarella, parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper) in a medium bowl and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients.

Make the Meat Sauce

Heat olive oil over medium heat and add the diced onions. Let them soften for 10 minutes. (This allows them to release a little sugar which is a nice offset to the acidity of the tomatoes.)

Add the ground beef and sausage and increase heat to medium-high. Use a spatula to break up the meat so that it’s very fine and crumbled. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through. Add garlic during the last minute. Drain excess grease.

Add the chicken broth and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the pot. Add the marinara sauce, tomato paste, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover partially and let the sauce simmer gently while you boil the pasta noodles.

Preheat Oven and Cook the Lasagna Noodles

Preheat oven to 375°.

Begin boiling a large pot of salted pasta water for the lasagna noodles. Once a rapid boil is reached, cook the noodles to al dente according to package instructions. (Set a timer to ensure you don’t overcook them.) Gently stir with a wooden spoon throughout cooking to prevent the noodles from sticking. Drain and rinse with cold water until noodles are completely cool.

Lay the cooled noodles flat on wax or parchment paper while you begin assembling the lasagna.

Assemble

Spread 1 heaping cup of meat sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Next, add 4 lasagna noodles, overlapping them if needed.

Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles, followed by about 1 ½ cups of meat sauce.

Top with 4 more lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, 1 ½ cups meat sauce.

Finish with 4 more lasagna noodles, the rest of the ricotta mixture, and the rest of the meat sauce.

Top with 2 ½ cups of Mozzarella cheese.

Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray and place it spray-side-down on top of the baking dish to prevent the cheese from sticking to it.

Bake

Bake for 35 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 10 more minutes.

Remove and garnish with fresh parsley. Let it sit for 15 minutes prior to serving to allow the layers to set.

Pro Tips:

Flavor Enhancers: The hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce are flavor enhancers and can’t be tasted outright. The hot sauce won’t make it hot/spicy. I use Frank's Hot Sauce.

Cheese: Shred and grate the cheese from a block, avoid using packaged shredded/grated cheese for this recipe. Low moisture, whole milk mozzarella cheese melts the best.

Lasagna Noodles: No-boil lasagna noodles or fresh lasagna noodles can also be used for this recipe, neither of which need to be cooked first. Fresh lasagna noodles can be found in the deli section of the grocery store.

Casserole Dish: If your lasagna is very close to the top of your casserole dish, place a baking sheet underneath the casserole dish to catch any splatters of sauce, as it gets hot and bubbly toward the end. A Deep Casserole Dish is helpful.

Storage:

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers do freeze well.

Reheating Leftovers:

To reheat leftover lasagna, place it in a lightly greased, covered casserole dish. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.