Classic Lasagna
Layers of oven-ready noodles, a thick beef sauce, vegetables, and lots of cheese make up my all-time favorite lasagna—comfortable, familiar flavors that are perfected.Classic Lasagna
I love this lasagna recipe due to the fact that it beautifully integrates the familiar flavors of the lasagna I grew up on with the fine-tuned taste of a restaurant-style meal. It’s also reasonably very easy to make, thanks to using oven-ready or no-boil pasta noodles, which save time and effort while providing a taste incredibly similar to fresh homemade pasta– a precise win! The noodles are layered with a tasty meat sauce made with Italian sausage, vegetables, crushed tomatoes, and cream, in addition to velvety ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. Cooked till bubbly and golden, it’s the best comfy recipe for a crowd, and it reheats and ices up well, too. This is absolutely my go-to lasagna recipe!Classic Lasagna
What You’ll Need To Make Lasagna
- Onion, Garlic, Carrots, and Celery: These veggies serve as the sauce’s foundation and add to its rich flavor.
- Italian Sausage:It is the sauce’s main flavoring ingredient, and its fat and spices give it depth and richness.
- Red Wine: adds complexity and acidity to the sauce.
- Canned Crushed Tomatoes:gives the sauce bulk, acidity, and tomato taste.
- Heavy Cream: added to the tomato sauce to counteract the wine’s and tomatoes’ acidity.
- Thyme and Bay Leaves:The sauce gains aromatic tastes from these herbs.
- Ricotta Cheese:combined with egg, cream cheese, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, which adds moisture and richness to the lasagna by creating a creamy layer.
- Cream Cheese:keeps the ricotta from being gritty in the oven and gives the ricotta mixture more creaminess and tang.
- Egg: helps the ricotta mixture set and keep its shape when the lasagna is baked by acting as a binder.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano:A flavorful, aged, hard cheese that is both sprinkled over the lasagna and incorporated to the ricotta mixture.
- Oven-Ready (No Boil) Lasagna Noodles: Since these noodles don’t need to be pre-boiled, you may avoid the problem of them slopping and clinging together, which is a common problem when making lasagna using traditional lasagna noodles. They cook to the ideal tenderness by absorbing moisture from the cheese and sauce while baking. The Barilla brand appeals to me.Classic Lasagna
- Mozzarella Cheese: gives the lasagna’s layers a flexible, melted texture.Classic Lasagna
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Make the Sauce
Start by putting the celery, carrots, onions, and garlic in a food processor. They won’t chop evenly if you don’t give them a rough chop initially.Classic Lasagna
In order for them to melt into the sauce, pulse until they are minced but not puréed.Classic LasagnaIn order for them to melt into the sauce, pulse until they are minced but not puréed.
Add the sausage to a large pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.Classic LasagnaAdd the sausage to a large pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Cook for about 5 minutes, tossing regularly and breaking the sausage into small pieces, until it is slightly browned but not cooked completely. Move the partially cooked sausage to a platter with a slotted spoon. Put aside.Classic Lasagna
After lowering the heat to medium, add the minced vegetables to the pan along with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.Classic Lasagna
Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are very tender. Avoid browning; if needed, lower the heat.Classic Lasagna
After adding the wine, simmer for a few more minutes, stirring to scrape up any brown pieces from the bottom of the pan, until the veggies have absorbed the most of the liquid.
Add the bay leaves, thyme, sugar, salt, pepper, tomatoes, and cream.
Bring to a boil, stirring.
Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
Add the sausage back to the pot.
Simmer for another 10 minutes or more, or until the sausage is cooked through and the flavors have combined. If needed, taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove the bay leaves and throw them away.
2. Make the Ricotta Filling
In the bowl of a food processor with a metal blade, combine the ricotta, cream cheese, egg, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and pepper.
Add the basil after processing until everything is well mixed.
Pulse the basil until it is minced finely.
3. Assemble the Lasagna
Spread about 1-1/2 cups of sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
Place three noodles on top of the sauce, then top the noodles with a third of the ricotta filling.
Evenly distribute the ricotta mixture over the noodles.
Add 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese on top.
Two more times, layer the sauce, noodles, ricotta filling, and mozzarella. Place the remaining three noodles on top. After spooning the remaining sauce over the noodles, top with 1/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano and the remaining mozzarella.
lasagna ready to bake
Spray nonstick cooking spray on a wide sheet of foil. With the foil sprayed side down, firmly cover the lasagna. Preheat the oven to 375°F and bake for 40 minutes. Turn the oven up to 400°F and carefully uncover it. Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the noodles are soft, the sauce is boiling, and the rims are puffed and golden.
Before serving, take it out of the oven and leave
Servings:
Total Time: 2 Hours 15 Minutes
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1½ pounds Italian sausage (bulk or removed from casing)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- ¾ cup dry red wine
For the Ricotta Mixture
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup roughly chopped fresh basil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 1 large egg
- 3 oz. cream cheese
- 1 (15 oz.) container whole milk ricotta (about 1¾ cups)
For Assembling
- 12 oven ready (no boil) lasagna noodles (such as Barilla)
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the onions, garlic, carrot, and celery. Pulse until finely chopped but not puréed.Classic Lasagna
- In a big pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. After adding the sausage to the pan, heat it for approximately five minutes, tossing occasionally and breaking it up into little pieces, until it is slightly browned but not cooked completely. Move the partially cooked sausage to a platter with a slotted spoon. Put aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the minced vegetables, and then pour in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are very tender. Avoid browning; if needed, lower the heat.Classic Lasagna
- Add the wine and cook for a few more minutes, stirring to scrape up any brown pieces from the bottom of the pan, until the veggies have absorbed most of the wine.
- Bring to a boil after adding the tomatoes, cream, sugar, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, covered, until the sauce thickens.
- Large chunks of sausage don’t work well in lasagna, so move it to a cutting board and cut it into smaller pieces.Classic Lasagna
- Return the sausage to the pan and simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes or more, or until the sausage is cooked through and the flavors have combined. If needed, taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove the bay leaves and throw them away.Classic Lasagna
For the Ricotta Mixture
- In the bowl of a food processor with a metal blade, combine the ricotta, cream cheese, egg, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and pepper. Process until all ingredients are mixed. Pulse the basil until it is finely minced.
For Assembly
- Set the oven’s temperature to 375°F.
- Line the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish with approximately 1½ cups of sauce. Over the sauce, arrange three noodles (note that the noodles will expand as they cook, so there will be some space between them). Spread a third of the ricotta filling equally over the noodles after dolloping it on. Add ¾ cup of the mozzarella cheese on top. Two more times, layer the noodles, sauce, ricotta filling, and mozzarella. Place the remaining three noodles on top. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and ¼ cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano over the noodles after spooning the remaining sauce over them.Classic Lasagna
- Spray nonstick cooking spray on a wide sheet of foil. With the foil sprayed side down, firmly cover the lasagna. Bake for forty minutes. Turn the oven up to 400°F and carefully uncover it. Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the noodles are soft, the sauce is boiling, and the rims are puffed and golden. Before serving, take it out of the oven and leave it for about fifteen minutes.Classic Lasagna
Make-Ahead Instructions:Up to one day before baking, the lasagna can be put together and chilled. If baking from cold, give it a few more minutes in the oven.Classic Lasagna
Freezer-Friendly Instructions:You can freeze the lasagna for up to three months. If you decide to freeze it before baking, make sure it is completely thawed in the fridge for a full day before proceeding with the baking directions in the recipe. If lasagna has already been baked, divide it into individual portions or store any leftovers in a freezer-safe container. First, wrap each dish tightly in plastic wrap, and then in foil. The lasagna can be reheated by wrapping it in foil and heating it in an oven that has been preheated to 325°F.Classic Lasagna
