Hearty Meat Lasagna
Ingredients
For Sauce
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced (about 6 cloves)
1 pound meat loaf mix or ground beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4 cup half and half
1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
For Ricotta Filling
24 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1⁄2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 large egg, beaten
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
For Noodles and Cheese
9 ounces no-boil flat lasagna noodles
1 pound whole milk mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1⁄2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
1. For the sauce: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the meat loaf mix, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the meat is cooked, about 5-6 minutes.
2. Stir in half and half, bring to a simmer, and cook until the liquid evaporates and only the fat remains, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and drained diced tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook until the flavors are blended, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside. NOTE: You can substitute 6-7 cups of prepared spaghetti sauce for the two cans. I used Roasted Tomato Sauce #2.)
3. For the ricotta filling: Stir all of the ingredients together until combined; set aside.
4. To assemble the lasagna: Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish (avoiding large chunks of meat). Place 4 of the noodles in a single layer in the baking dish. Spread 1⁄3 cup of the ricotta mixture over each noodle, and then sprinkle the layer with 1 cup of the mozzarella. Spoon 1 cup of the sauce evenly over the cheeses. Repeat the layering of the noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, and sauce twice more. Place the remaining 4 noodles on top, cover with the remaining sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and the parmesan.
5. To store: Wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap and then foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. (If frozen, the casserole must be thawed completely in the refrigerator, about 24 hours.)
6. To serve: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400*F. Unwrap the dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake until the sauce bubbles lightly around the edges, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until hot throughout and the cheese is browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes longer. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Comments
When planning the last Game Day meal to go along with Art’s requested Tiramisu, I decided to go for a non-traditional lasagna. But then I started second guessing myself so decided that I should also make a traditional lasagna. I found this recipe in The Best Make-Ahead Recipe which is a fantastic cookbook if you need to prepare food a day in advance.
It was definitely hearty and meaty. Not to mention super easy since it didn’t require the traditional Béchamel.
The Best Make-Ahead Recipe