Lasagna
- Sauce time: 20 minutes
- Assembly time: 15 minutes
- Baking time: 45 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
For Single recipe
(serves 4 to 6)
- Bake in a 9 or 10-inch square baking dish
Beef:
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ small onion, chopped
Sauce Ingredients:
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried basil (or 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- One 14.5-ounce can petite cut tomatoes
- Two 6-ounce cans tomato paste
Lasagna:
- One 8-ounce box of dried lasagna noodles (for a 9-inch square pan, about 9 noodles)
Ricotta Cheese Mixture:
- 1½ cups ricotta cheese (15-ounce container)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
- 1 egg, beaten
- Salt and pepper to taste
Mozzarella:
- ½ pound low moisture mozzarella, thinly sliced or grated (8-ounces)
Ingredients
For Double recipe
(serves 8 to 12)
- Bake in a 13x9 oblong baking dish
Beef:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped
Sauce Ingredients:
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons dried basil (or ¼ cup fresh basil, finely chopped)
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Two 14.5-ounce cans petite cut tomatoes
- Four 6-ounce cans tomato paste
Lasagna:
- One 16-ounce box of dried lasagna noodles (for a 9x13 oblong pan, about 16 noodles)
Ricotta Cheese Mixture:
- 3 cups ricotta cheese (32-ounce container)
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Salt and pepper to taste
Mozzarella:
- 1 pound low moisture mozzarella, thinly sliced or grated
Section
Instructions
-
In a large frying pan brown the meat slowly; spoon off excess fat
- Add chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is tender.
- Add sauce ingredients.
- Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
- While sauce is simmering, cook lasagna noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender; follow cooking instructions on package.
- Drain lasagna noodles, rinse in cold water and set aside. To prevent the noodles from sticking together, leave them immersed in a pot of cold water until ready to assemble lasagna; then drain and use.
- In a large mixing bowl combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, eggs, salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- To Assemble: Place enough cooked noodles lengthwise in the baking dish to cover the bottom.
- Spread with a third of the ricotta cheese mixture.
- Cover the ricotta mixture with a third of the mozzarella cheese.
- Spoon a third of the sauce over the mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat with 2 more layers of noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, and sauce for a total of three layers.
- Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes; or until heated through.
- Let stand 10 minutes; cut into squares and serve.
Comments
If you have a baking dish that is deeper than the standard 2-inches use it. This recipe will fill a 2-inch deep baking dish to the brim.Lasagna can be assembled 2 to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated. Allow 15 extra minutes baking time.
The day before you make your lasagna why not put together a sponge so that you can serve a fresh, warm loaf of French bread with your meal?
Another compliment to your meal would be Caesar salad with croutons or a bowl of crisp salad greens topped with Italian salad dressing and croutons.
Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.
To reheat leftovers, preheat oven to 350°. Bake uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes or until heated through.
Looking for a vegetarian lasagna option? Try my recipe for Eggplant Lasagna.
Do you have leftover ricotta cheese and are you looking for a dessert idea to serve with your lasagna? Try my recipe for Chocolate Ricotta Cheesecake Bars.