Classic Italian Lasagna with Three-Cheese Layering

Ingredients

Meat Sauce:

- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 lb pork sausage
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Cheese Filling:

- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

Additional Ingredients:

- 9 lasagna noodles
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Béchamel Sauce:

- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat Oven:
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. Cook Meat Sauce:
- In a large skillet over medium heat, combine ground beef, pork sausage, onion, and garlic. Sauté until the meat is browned and the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.
- Drain any excess fat, then add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and sugar.
- Season with basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
- Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in chopped parsley at the end.

3. Prepare Cheese Filling:
- In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, and salt until smooth. Set aside.

4. Cook Lasagna Noodles:
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook lasagna noodles for 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside on a clean kitchen towel.

5. Make Béchamel Sauce:
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth.
- Gradually whisk in milk, cooking until thickened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Season with nutmeg and salt. Remove from heat.

6. Assemble Lasagna:
- In a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread 1/2 cup of meat sauce.
- Layer with 3 lasagna noodles. Top with 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1 cup of mozzarella, and 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce.
- Repeat layers (noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, meat sauce) twice more.
- Pour Béchamel sauce over the top layer and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

7. Bake:
Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

8. Rest and Serve:
Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Total Time

PT2H10M
2 hours 10 minutes

Type of Dish

Dinner

Keywords

Italian, Lasagna, Dinner, Family Meal, Comfort Food, Three-Cheese, Classic, Homemade, Baked, Pasta

Recipe Yield

Feeds 4 adults

Calories

2,800 calories for the entire dish

#ItalianCuisine #LasagnaLovers #HomemadePasta #DinnerIdeas #ComfortFood