Italian-American Style Lasagne

12 servings | 15 prep minutes | 120 cook minutes

Ingredients Link to heading

  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 4 sprigs fresh basil
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
  • 32 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
  • 3/4 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 9 ounce boxes oven-ready lasagne noodles
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup red wine (or beef stock)

Method Link to heading

  1. Heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy bottom pot.
  2. Add ground beef to pot and cook for about five minutes, allowing a crust to develop on the bottom.
  3. Break up beef and continue cooking until browned.
  4. Move beef to sides of pot (or to a plate on the side if needed) to make space in the middle. Add garlic and cook for thirty seconds or until fragrant.
  5. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, about five minutes or until softened and translucent.
  6. Add tomato paste, stirring occasionally, and cook for about three minutes to reduce sharpness.
  7. Deglaze with red wine or beef stock and stir everything together, cooking until deglazing liquid is mostly evaporated.
  8. Stir in crushed tomatoes and basil sprigs, along with about a half can of water. Add spices, along with salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low, then stir occasionally and allow to cook down for at least 40 minutes. If the sauce thickens too quickly, add a little water. Allow to cool once finished.
  10. While the sauce cooks, grate half of the mozzarella cheese into a large mixing bowl, slice the other half into pucks and set aside for topping later.
  11. Add ricotta cheese, eggs, parsley, and half of the grated parmigiano to the bowl along with salt and pepper to taste. Mix until well combined.
  12. Coat the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with about a cup of sauce, then layer three sheets of pasta, followed by 1 1/2 cups of cheese mixture, then more pasta.
  13. Continue building, alternating sauce and cheese mixture between layers of pasta, until you run out of space, cheese, or noodles. Add a final layer of sauce to the top, followed by mozzarella pucks and remaining parmigiano.
  14. Cover with foil and refrigerate both the assembled lasagne and remaining sauce overnight.
  15. The next day, bake covered lasagne at 375℉ for around 45 minutes or until hot throughout. Remove cover and place under broiler for five minutes or until cheese on top is bubbling and nicely browned. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving (this is a good time to reheat the extra sauce).
  16. Serve topped with extra sauce and grated parmigiano as desired.