Meat Lasagna #1

1 Comment / Dinner, Italian, Main Course
lasagna recipe
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Lasagna is the sixth love language. It’s kind of complicated, a little messy, and completely satisfying if done right. This restaurant-quality lasagna features a rich, complex meat sauce, no-boil pasta sheets, and oodles of gooey cheesy goodness.

lasagna recipe
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Meat Lasagna #1

Cheesy lasagna complete with a homemade meat sauce.
Prep Time1 hr
Cook Time2 hrs
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: beef, cheese, italian, lasagna, meat, pasta, ricotta
Servings: 6 people

Equipment

  • Instant Pot (optional)
  • 9x13 lasagna/baking pan

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 12 uncooked egg lasagna noodles or enough to cover a 9x12 baking pan
  • 32 oz shredded mozzarella with Philadelphia Cream Cheese
  • 1/2 bag shredded mozzarella for the top
  • 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano shredded or grated

Meat Sauce:

  • 4 strips bacon cut into lardons (bacon can be substituted for oil)
  • 1 medium onion minced or small dice
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb Italian sausage
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp dried basil
  • 2 tbsp dried parsley / 2 tbsp fresh
  • 1/3 cup red wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp Cornstarch
  • 1 28 oz can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt + pepper TT
  • Honey/sugar TT

Cheese mixture:

  • 8 oz ricotta
  • 8 oz cottage cheese
  • 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
  • 2/3 cup parmigiano reggiano shredded or grated
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley
  • Salt + Pepper

Instructions

IN A POT, cook your meat sauce:

  • IF USING BACON - Sauté bacon lardons on medium heat in a large pot. Once bacon is crisp and fat is rendered, remove lardons* and set aside.
    IF USING OIL - Heat oil on medium heat in a large pot.
  • Add onion. Sweat/sauté until translucent (3 minutes).
  • Add garlic and sauté until fragrant (1 minute).
  • Add ground beef and Italian sausage. Sauté and mix well with garlic and onion. Cook until brown. Make sure to break up the meat, constantly agitating for uniform sized meat chunks.
  • Season meat mixture with dried herbs (oregano, basil, parsley) salt & pepper.
  • Create a well in the middle of the meat mixture. Add the tomato paste. Mix gradually into the meat mixture until tomato paste has browned a bit (1 min).
  • Sprinkle cornstarch evenly over meat. Sauté (~1 min).
  • Combine chicken stock, red wine, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Deglaze pan with stock mixture. Scrape up the fond (bits at the bottom of the pan) with a wooden spoon. Cook alcohol flavor out for 1-2 min.
  • Add crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Mix well. Add salt, pepper, and honey/sugar to taste. Don’t be afraid of adding too much sugar. Tomatoes are naturally tart and need sugar for balance. Add bay leaf.
  • Put cover on pot, leaving a small opening for steam to escape. Simmer on the lowest heat possible for about an hour. Remove bay leaf before assembling lasagna.
    OR If using an Instant Pot, transfer meat sauce to Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, natural release for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf before assembling lasagna.
  • PREHEAT OVEN to 375 °F

IN A BOWL, mix your cheese:

  • Mix together ricotta, cottage cheese, cream cheese, parmigiano reggiano. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (yes, you need to actually taste the cheese mixture)
  • Add egg and dried parsley. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until meat sauce is done cooking.

IN A 9x13 LASAGNA/BAKING PAN, build your lasagna:

  • Layer your lasagna as follows (bottom to top) -
    Meat sauce
    Uncooked Lasagna Sheets
    Cheese Mixture
    Shredded Mozzerella
    Meat Sauce
    Uncooked Lasagna Sheets
    Cheese Mixture
    Shredded Mozzarella
    Meat Sauce
    Uncooked Lasagna Sheets
    Cheese mixture & Shredded Mozzarella (whatever remains)
    Meat sauce
  • Cover lasagna pan tightly with foil. Cut a slit in the top of the foil for venting.
  • Put a full sheet pan in the pre-heated oven. Set lasagna pan in the middle of the full sheet pan.
  • Carefully add 1-2 cups of HOT water to the full sheet pan, until the water is 1/2 “ up the side of the lasagna pan.
  • Cook at 375°F for 45 min.

REMOVE THE FOIL, add the cheese, finish the lasagna:

  • Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Remove the foil.
  • Add the reserved shredded mozzarella cheese and parmigiano reggiano. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is completely melted and the edges begin to brown.
  • Remove from oven. Allow to rest… so you don’t burn the buhjeezus out of your mouth.

Notes

To make Bacon-infused Lasagna, pulverize bacon lardons in a grinder until salt-like consistency. Add bacon seasoning to meat sauce and ricotta.

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