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Classic Homemade Lasagna Recipe with Rich Meat Sauce, layered with cheese and pasta.

Classic Homemade Lasagna with Rich Meat Sauce

A cozy, filling lasagna recipe featuring a rich meat sauce that brings comfort to any dinner table.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 450
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Meat Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil For cooking the onion
  • 1 onion, chopped Arbitrary size
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced Add for fragrant flavor
  • 1 pound ground beef Or use half beef and half Italian sausage
  • 28 ounces crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce For the sauce base
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste Optional for thicker sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper Seasoning according to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
For the Cheese Layer
  • 15 ounces ricotta cheese Or cottage cheese as alternative
  • 1 egg Helps the ricotta layer set
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated For added flavor
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional) For freshness
Lasagna Construction
  • 9 sheets lasagna sheets Dried or fresh, as preferred
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded For top layers

Method
 

Making the Sauce
  1. Warm a big pot over medium heat and add olive oil.
  2. Cook chopped onion until soft.
  3. Add garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant, but not burnt.
  4. Add ground beef and brown while breaking it up, draining excess fat if necessary.
  5. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper.
  6. Let it simmer gently for at least 20 to 30 minutes.
Preparing the Cheese Layer
  1. In a bowl, combine ricotta, egg, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and parsley.
Cooking the Noodles
  1. If using dried lasagna sheets that are not 'no boil', boil them until flexible.
  2. Drain and lay them flat on a towel to prevent sticking.
Assembling the Lasagna
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  2. Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.
  3. Layer noodles, followed by ricotta mix, meat sauce, and mozzarella.
  4. Repeat until just below the top and finish with sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
Baking
  1. Cover with foil and bake for about 25 minutes.
  2. Uncover and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly and golden.
  3. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

For better flavor, let the sauce simmer gently and ensure to rest the lasagna for clean slices. Shred your mozzarella for better melting.