Now that summer is coming to an end, we are starting to want hearty, comforting food. In my husband’s eyes, there is nothing more comforting than a big pan of lasagna. I definitely think pasta is his love language!
There are so many great things about this lasagna recipe that make it perfect. It is thick and rich, can be made ahead of time and feeds a lot of people! Those three things make this one of my go-to recipes, especially when I need to take food to people. It’s also great to serve company because all the prep is done ahead of time and it frees me up to visit with my guests.
When I’m making lasagna I like to gather all of my ingredients at one time so it makes assembly easier. I start with making the meat sauce. Once I have it simmering, I move on to boiling the pasta. While I’m waiting on the pasta, I mix up the ricotta mixture. Once all of those things are done, I just put everything in a line and start layering it up. It is not hard at all.
A few things to note about this recipe. The original recipe is written for regular lasagna noodles that you boil. I have used the no boil noodles with success, but I feel like you should substitute some of the tomato paste with tomato sauce. The sauce needs just a little more liquid because the uncooked pasta really soaks it up. Also, I recently started using sliced mozzarella cheese, and I really like how cheesy the lasagna comes out. Even though you are using the same amount of cheese, it seems cheesier with the slices. A lot of times, I will divide the lasagna between two pans and freeze one (unbaked) for later.
Make this lasagna soon. I think you’ll find it……..just perfect!
Perfect Lasagna
Delicious pasta layered between a rich meat sauce and gooey cheese. The perfect lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 24 oz tomato paste
- 16 oz whole peeled tomatoes
- 3 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 box lasagna noodles
- 16 oz ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs
- 16 oz mozzerella cheese
- 1/2 c parmesan cheese
Instructions
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Brown ground beef, onion and garlic.
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Add tomato paste, whole tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, bay leaf and Italian seasoning. Cover and simmer at least 20 minutes.
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If using regular lasagna noodles, bring a large pot of water to a boil and boil noodles until al dente and drain. If using no-boil noodles, skip this step.
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In a separate bowl, mix ricotta cheese and eggs.
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Spray a deep 9x13 baking dish.
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Remove bay leaf from meat sauce. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with a thin layer of sauce. Next, layer noodles, ricotta mixture, mozzarella and then sauce. Repeat layers, ending with a nice thick layer of meat sauce. Sprinkle Parmesan over the meat sauce and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes until bubbly.