Sunday Meat Lasagna
Mains · Serves 12 · Prep 45 min · Cook 2 hr 15 min · Total 3 hr
The big pan for birthdays and Sundays: a long-simmered meat sauce, a creamy ricotta layer and plenty of mozzarella browned on top. Make it a day ahead if you can; it cuts even cleaner after a night in the fridge, and the 30-minute rest after baking isn't optional.
Ingredients
The Meat Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef (85/15)
- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
The Ricotta Filling
- 2 lb whole-milk ricotta
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
To Assemble
- 1 lb dried lasagna noodles (regular, not no-boil)
- 1 1/2 lb low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, shredded (about 6 cups)
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Steps
The Meat Sauce
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef and sausage and cook, breaking them up, until browned, about 10 minutes. Spoon off all but about 2 tbsp of fat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 6 minutes, then the garlic for 1 minute and the tomato paste for 2 minutes more.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered, stirring now and then, until thick enough to hold a trail from your spoon, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in the basil. A thick sauce is what keeps the lasagna from turning soupy.
The Ricotta Filling
- Stir together the ricotta, eggs, Parmigiano, parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg until smooth.
To Assemble
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Cook the noodles in well-salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the package says. Drain, rinse under cool water and lay them flat on an oiled baking sheet.
- In a deep 9x13-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup of sauce. Add a layer of noodles, half the ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Repeat with noodles, the rest of the ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Finish with a last layer of noodles, the remaining sauce, the remaining mozzarella and the Parmigiano.
- Cover with oiled foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbling at the edges and browned in spots on top, 20 to 25 minutes more.
- Let the lasagna rest for 30 minutes before cutting so the layers set into clean squares.