Homemade Meat Lasagna

I love a good, hearty lasagna. I will forever be transported back to 2004 when I frequently visited New York City and ate the freshest and most delicious lasagna in my life at a now closed Roman restaurant called Teodora. I ate their on a number of occasions with my then boyfriend and I also had the chance to take my parents there once back in 2005. I’ve yet to taste something so exact to that in my life but this is a close second place. I hope you enjoy this comforting dish as much as I do.

Homemade Meat Lasagna

Ingredients

Homemade Meat Sauce

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 cup finely diced onion
• ½ cup finely diced carrot
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ⅓ cup tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 ½ cups water
• 2 – 28 oz. large cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar, optional

For the Lasagna

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 12 unbroken lasagna noodles, see tips for no-boil noodles
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
• 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated, heaped ½ cup
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 pound mozzarella cheese, grated

Prepare

Make the Sauce

1. First, if your sausage has casings, slice them lengthwise and peel them off and discard. Place a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and beef, breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Cook until the meat is browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes.
2. Add vegetables: Stir in the onion and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, for about 8 minutes.
3. Add aromatics and tomato paste: Add the garlic, basil, oregano, and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant and the tomato paste turns a deeper orange-red color.
4. Deglaze the pot: Pour in 1 ½ cups of water and use your spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot (they add lots of flavor to the sauce).
5. Add tomatoes and simmer: Stir in the canned tomatoes and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar if needed. Simmer uncovered for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally and skimming off any excess fat. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, or the optional sugar before using.
6. Make ahead: This meat sauce keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months. The recipe makes about 9 cups. You’ll need 4 ½ cups for one lasagna. Save the rest for a second lasagna or toss it with spaghetti another night.

Assemble Lasagna

1. Set your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 13×9-inch baking dish or spray it with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Cook the noodles (if needed): If using traditional lasagna noodles, boil them according to package directions (about 10 minutes) in a large pot of salted water with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Drain well and set aside. If using no-boil noodles, skip this step.
3. Mix the cheese filling: In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, and beaten egg until well blended.
4. Reserve the sauce: Set aside 4 to 4 ½ cups of your prepared meat sauce for assembling the lasagna.
5. Start layering: Spread about ¾ cup of meat sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange noodles lengthwise, overlapping slightly to cover the sauce. Cut extra noodles if needed to fill any gaps.
6. Add the first layer: Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Top with one-third of the mozzarella cheese and 1 ¼ cups of meat sauce.
7. Add the second layer: Repeat with another layer of noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, more mozzarella cheese, and another layer of sauce.
8. Finish the top: Add a final layer of noodles, then spread the remaining meat sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
9. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then uncover it and bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is crusty around the edges. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.