Lasagna

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the meat sauce: brown 1 lb of ground beef and 1 lb of Italian sausage in a large pot. Drain excess fat. Add 1 chopped onion, 6 minced garlic cloves, cook 5 minutes. Add 2 cans (28 oz each) of crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Simmer 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Cook 12-15 lasagna noodles in salted water for 1 minute less than the package time. Drain and lay flat on parchment to prevent sticking. (Or use no-boil noodles.)

3. 3

   Mix the ricotta filling: 2 cups whole-milk ricotta, 2 cups shredded mozzarella, ½ cup grated Parmesan, 1 beaten egg, ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper.

4. 4

   Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread 1 cup of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Layer 4 noodles. Spread ⅓ of the ricotta mixture. Top with 1 cup of sauce and ½ cup of mozzarella.

5. 5

   Repeat the layers twice more (noodles, ricotta, sauce, cheese). For the top: noodles, all remaining sauce, 2 cups of mozzarella, ½ cup of Parmesan.

6. 6

   Cover with foil (greased to prevent sticking). Bake 40 minutes covered, then 15-20 minutes uncovered until cheese is deeply golden and bubbling. Rest 20 minutes before slicing — critical for sliceable portions. Garnish with fresh basil.