Description
Irresistible World’s Best Lasagna promises a delightful journey through layers of rich, savory flavors that dance on your palate. Cheese, pasta, and perfectly seasoned meat combine to create a classic Italian masterpiece you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Meats:
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 0.75 pound lean ground beef
Sauce and Seasonings:
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 (6.5 ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
- 0.5 cup water
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (divided)
- 1.5 teaspoons dried basil leaves
- 1.5 teaspoons salt (divided)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 0.5 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper
Cheese and Pasta:
- 0.5 cup minced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 0.75 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 0.75 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat until meat is fully cooked and no longer pink.
- Incorporate crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water into the meat mixture. Season with sugar, parsley, basil, salt, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and pepper.
- Simmer the sauce on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring periodically to prevent burning and develop rich flavors.
- Simultaneously, cook lasagna noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.
- Drain noodles and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process and prevent sticking.
- Prepare ricotta mixture by combining ricotta cheese, egg, remaining parsley, and salt in a mixing bowl until smooth and well-blended.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) with rack in the middle position.
- Spread 1½ cups of meat sauce evenly across the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Layer 6 noodles over the sauce, slightly overlapping to create complete coverage.
- Distribute half of the ricotta mixture evenly across the noodles.
- Add one-third of mozzarella slices over the ricotta layer.
- Pour 1½ cups of meat sauce over mozzarella and sprinkle ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.
- Repeat layering process with remaining ingredients, ending with mozzarella and Parmesan on top.
- Cover baking dish with foil that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Bake covered for 25 minutes, then remove foil and continue baking for an additional 25 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let lasagna rest for 15 minutes before serving to allow layers to set and flavors to meld.
Notes
- Choose lean ground beef and sausage to reduce excess fat while maintaining rich flavor.
- Slightly undercook lasagna noodles since they’ll continue cooking in the oven, preventing mushy texture.
- Allow ricotta mixture to sit for 10 minutes before layering to help ingredients meld and enhance overall taste.
- Let lasagna rest after baking to help layers set and make cutting and serving easier, ensuring clean slices.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg