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Ingredients:

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2 tablespoons Olive oil
2 small onions, chopped separately
6 cloves of garlic, smashed (keep each three separate)
1 lb of ground beef
1 lb of ground lamb or pork
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoons of black pepper
1 teaspoon of dry basil, plus 1 cup of fresh chopped basil
2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
3 sticks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
Three 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons of tomato paste dissolved in ¼ cup of warm water
12 Lasagna sheets
3 cups of shredded mozzarella
3 cups of ricotta cheese
2 cups of parmesan cheese (extra to sprinkle on top when finished)

Preparation

1
Make the meat sauce: -In a large Dutch oven, drizzle some olive oil and sauté one chopped onion on medium heat for 2 minutes. -Add three cloves of smashed garlic and cook for another minute. -Add the ground beef and lamb or pork to the Dutch oven and break it down with a wooden spatula. -Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and 1 teaspoon of dry basil. Cook for 5 minutes, breaking apart the meat as it cooks. Remove the meat mixture and place it into a separate bowl
2
-Add another drizzle of olive oil and chopped onion in the same Dutch oven. Sauté for 2 minutes. -Add chopped celery and carrots. Sauté for another 2 minutes. -Add three cloves of smashed garlic and sauté for another minute. -Add three cans of crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of basil, 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 2 teaspoons of pepper. Mix well. -Let the sauce come to a boil, then add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste dissolved in ¼ cup of warm water. Mix well. -Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 45 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of tomato sauce for later use.
3
-In the same Dutch oven, add another drizzle of olive oil and another chopped onion. Sauté for 2 minutes. -Add chopped celery and carrots. Sauté for another 2 minutes. -Add three cloves of smashed garlic and sauté for another minute. -Add three cans of crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of basil, 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 2 teaspoons of pepper. Mix well. -Let the sauce come to a boil, then add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste dissolved in ¼ cup of warm water. Mix well. -Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 45 minutes. -Reserve ½ cup of tomato sauce for later use.
4
-Add the cooked ground meat to the tomato sauce, mix well, and cook for another 15 minutes. -Add 1 cup of fresh chopped basil and mix it in with the meat tomato sauce.
5
The cheese mixture: -Add ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese to a large bowl. Mix the cheeses together. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper and mix the mixture. Preheat the oven to 375 F before assembling the lasagna.
6
Assemble the lasagna: Cook the lasagna sheets according to the package instructions. Mix 3 cups of shredded mozzarella, 3 cups of ricotta cheese, and 2 cups of grated parmesan cheese in a separate bowl. In a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread a layer of reserved tomato sauce on the bottom. Add a layer of cooked lasagna sheets on top of the tomato sauce. Add a layer of the cheese mixture on top of the lasagna sheets. Add another layer of cooked lasagna sheets on top of the cheese mixture. Add another layer of tomato sauce on top of the lasagna sheets. Repeat the layers of cheese mixture, lasagna sheets, and tomato sauce until all the ingredients are used. Sprinkle some extra parmesan cheese on top. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Let the lasagna cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips & Suggestions

If you don't have fresh tomatoes, use crushed tomatoes in a can and add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste to give it extra richness in flavor and color.

Cook the ground meat first, remove it, and use the same pot for tomato sauce. Once the sauce is finished, combine them and cook the meat sauce for another 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to come together.

Mix one pound of ground beef and one pound of lamb for the meat, or substitute the lamb with any Italian sweet sausages or ground pork.

For the cheese, use a combination of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan.

Let the lasagna rest for at least 10-15 minutes after it's done cooking to allow the layers to settle and for easier slicing. Use oven-ready lasagna sheets for convenience, or cook traditional lasagna sheets al dente before layering.

Cover the lasagna with foil while baking to prevent the cheese from burning, and remove the foil during the last 10-15 minutes of baking to allow the cheese to brown and get crispy.

Rana’s Notes!

Lasagna is an excellent food for meal prep since it seems to get even tastier when you eat it the next day! Refrigerator: This meat lasagna can last in the fridge for about a week. Keep it in an airtight container and simply reheat the slices in the microwave when you are ready to eat it again. Freezer: The lasagna will taste best if it is frozen after being assembled but before it has been baked. This will prevent the noodles from getting soggy, and the cheese will be crispier when it is only baked once. To freeze an unbaked lasagna, let it cool to room temperature and freeze the entire casserole wrapped in foil. It will last up to a month in the freezer. If you have already baked the lasagna, you can still freeze it. Let the lasagna cool down to room temperature and place the lasagna slices into freezer-safe food containers. Lasagna that has already been baked will also last up to a month in the freezer.