This may be the easiest—and one
of the tastiest—lasagnas you’ll ever make. As the name implies, it’s simple,
good old-fashioned meat sauce that does the trick (as well as a plethora of
cheese).
It’s not light, but it is delicious—and a welcome sight on the
dinner table. Enjoy it responsibly.
Note: I typically make lasagna in a 13 X 9-inch baking dish so that it
isn’t too thick. This time, however, I wanted a higher stack of layers, so I
used an 11 X 7-inch dish. It still serves six—just smaller squares that stand
tall.
Tip: When you're using a smaller dish, trim the cooked noodles so that they lie flat in it.
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 9 lasagna noodles
- 1 15-oz container ricotta
cheese
- 1-1/2 cups shredded
mozzarella cheese, divided
- 2 tbsp finely chopped
flat-leaf parsley
- 4 garlic cloves, finely
chopped, divided
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more
for oiling dish
- 1/2 small onion, finely
chopped
- 1 lb ground sirloin
- 2-1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
(from a 28-oz can), divided
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh
oregano
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
cheese
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook the lasagna noodles in
boiling, salted water 8-9 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup
mozzarella, parsley, 1 chopped garlic clove, and the egg in a bowl and set aside.
|
Ready to Mix |
|
Ricotta Cheese Mixture |
- Heat a large skillet or
saucepan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion and
remaining garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes.
- Add the ground sirloin and
cook, breaking up the meat, until cooked through, 7-8 minutes. Drain any excess
liquid from the pan.
- Add 2 cups crushed tomatoes
and fresh oregano and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring to combine, until
slightly thickened, 4-5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let
cool 10 minutes.
|
Onion and Garlic |
|
Beef Added |
|
Drain Liquid from Cooked Beef |
|
Crushed Tomatoes Added |
To Assemble and Bake
- Lightly oil an 11 X 7-inch
baking dish. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes in the bottom of the
dish and lay 3 noodles on top. (Trim noodles to fit dish.) Spoon 1/3
of the meat sauce over the noodles.
- Place 3 more lasagna noodles
on top and spread with all the ricotta cheese mixture. Spoon another 1/3 of the
meat sauce over the ricotta.
- Lay the remaining 3 noodles
on top and spread with the remaining 1/3 of the meat sauce. Top with the
remaining 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and dried oregano.
- Bake uncovered until the cheese is bubbly and
the top begins to brown, 25-30 minutes. Remove and let rest 10 minutes.
|
1st Pasta Layer |
|
1st Sauce Layer |
|
Ricotta Layer |
|
Top Ricotta with More Meat Sauce |
|
Ready to Bake |
|
Baked Lasagna |
Cut the lasagna into 6 squares and serve right away.
|
Easy Lasagna with Meat Sauce |
Can I use the no-boil noodles instead?
ReplyDeleteWell, David, I honestly don't know because I've never used them. But if they're supposed to take the place of any type of boiled noodles, I'd say go for it!
ReplyDelete