Ingredients
Equipment
Method
To Make the Meat Sauce:
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the ground beef and Italian sausage over medium-high heat until browned, breaking up the meat. Drain off excess grease, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan for proper browning.
- Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Stir in the sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, and fennel seeds.
- Season generously with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for at least 15-30 minutes (longer is better) to allow flavors to meld. Taste and adjust seasoning.
To Make the Cheese Filling:
- In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, dried parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix until well combined. Ensure the ricotta is not watery; drain if necessary.
To Assemble and Bake the Lasagna:
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Spread about 1 cup of the meat sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Arrange a layer of lasagna noodles over the sauce (regular noodles should be boiled al dente; no-boil can be used dry).
- Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture evenly over the noodles.
- Spoon about one-third of the remaining meat sauce over the ricotta layer.
- Sprinkle about one-third of the shredded mozzarella cheese over the meat sauce.
- Repeat the layers: noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, another third of the meat sauce, and another third of the mozzarella.
- Top with a final layer of noodles, the remaining meat sauce, and the remaining mozzarella and all the Parmesan cheese.
- Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil (tenting it so it doesn't touch the cheese).
- Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
- Crucial Step: Let the lasagna rest for at least 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. This allows it to set, preventing a messy presentation.
Nutrition
Notes
To assemble the lasagna the day before, fully assemble but do not bake. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and then foil, and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. When ready to bake, remove plastic wrap, keep foil on, and add 10-15 minutes to the initial covered baking time. To freeze, assemble in a freezer-safe dish, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking, or bake from frozen (requires longer baking time). Prevent watery lasagna by draining ricotta well, thickening the sauce by simmering longer, and always letting the lasagna rest after baking.
Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.