Our Favorite Lasagna Recipes

OUR FAVORITE LASAGNA WITH SAUSAGE, SPINACH, AND THREE CHEESES

Steps:

• Preparation:
• Position the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
• Make the sauce:
• In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the sausage, onion and 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, breaking up sausage with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, red-pepper flakes, and tomato paste; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add tomatoes (along with their juice) and oregano; bring to a simmer, and cook, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon until in small pieces, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more red-pepper flakes if desired.
• Make the filling:
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine all of the filling ingredients and process until mostly smooth.
• Assemble the lasagna:
• Squeeze the spinach in a paper towel or clean dishcloth until very dry. Transfer to a bowl and season with a pinch of salt.
• Coat baking dish with cooking spray and spread the bottom with 2 cups sauce. Top with a layer of three noodles, then a third of the ricotta mixture (about 1 1/3 cups), and a third of the spinach (about 2/3 cup). Sprinkle with 1 cup grated mozzarella.
• Repeat twice more, skipping the mozzarella on the third layer. Top the lasagna with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups mozzarella in clusters so some of the sauce peeks through.
• Place the baking pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Lightly spray a piece of foil with cooking spray, cover the lasagna, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until lightly browned and bubbly, about 20 minutes more. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
• DO AHEAD: The sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. The filling can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated.

WORLD'S BEST LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

OUR BEST LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook and stir onions and garlic in hot oil in large skillet 5 min. or until crisp-tender. Add ground beef and sausage; cook 10 min. or until done, stirring occasionally. Drain. Stir in tomatoes and herbs; simmer, uncovered, 30 min., stirring occasionally.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Mix ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, eggs and parsley until well blended.
• Layer half each of the noodles, meat sauce and ricotta mixture in 13x9-inch baking dish; repeat layers. Top with mozzarella and remaining Parmesan.
• Bake 30 to 35 min. or until heated through. Let stand 10 min. before cutting to serve.

OUR FAVORITE MEXICAN-STYLE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Brown meat in large skillet; drain. Return meat to skillet. Stir in salsa and seasoning mix; simmer on medium-low heat 10 min., stirring occasionally.
• Spread 1/2 cup meat mixture onto bottom of 8-square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover with 2 tortillas.
• Top with layers of 1/2 cup of the remaining meat mixture, half the beans, 1/2 cup cheese and 2 of the remaining tortillas; repeat layers. Top with remaining meat mixture and cheese; cover.
• Bake 30 min.; uncover. Let stand 5 min. before serving.

FAVORITE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Remove sausage from casings, chop the meat.
• In 5-qt Dutch oven, over medium heat, saute sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic.
• Break up beef with wooden spoon.
• Stir frequently, until well browned- 20 minutes.
• Add sugar, 1TBSP salt, basil, pepper, and half the parsley; mix well.
• Add tomatoes, tomato paste and 1/2 cup water, mashing tomatoes with wooden spoon.
• Bring to boiling; reduce heat; simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, until thick- 1-1/2hours.
• In large 8qt pot, bring 3qts water and 1TBSP salt to boiling.
• Add lasagna noodes, 2 or 3 at a time.
• Return to boiling; boil uncovered and stirring occasionally, 10 minutes, or just until tender.
• Drain in colander; rinse under cold water.
• Dry lasagna on paper towels.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, remaining parsley, and salt; mix.
• In bottom of 13x9" baking dish, spoon 1-1/2 cups sauce.
• Layer with 6 lasagna noodes, lengthwise and overlapping, to cover.
• Spread with 1/2 of ricotta mixture; top with 1/3 of the mozzarella.
• Spoon 1-1/2 cups sauce over cheese; sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmsesan cheese.
• Repeat layering, starting with 6 lasagna noodes and ending with 1-1/2 cups sauce sprinkled with Parmesen.
• Spread with remaining sauce, top with rest of mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Cover with foil.
• Bake 25 minutes; remove foil; bake, uncovered, 25 minutes longer or until bubbly.
• Cool 15 minutes before serving.

OUR FAVORITE LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a dutch oven over high heat cook ground beef and onions until beef is browned and juices have evaporated. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt, oregano leaves, thyme leaves, red pepper flakes, garlic salt, and bay leaf, heat mixture until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
• Discard the bay leaf and spoon off any grease that has accumulated on top of the sauce. Set aside.
• In another dutch oven boil water, add lasagna noodles, and cook until tender. Drain well in colander and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375°F In a 13x9-inch baking dish add half of the lasagna noodles layering as you go.
• In a small bowl add ricotta cheese and eggs, beat well until combined. Spoon half of this mixture over the layered lasagna noodles and half of the meat sauce. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese over this layer. Repeat layers and bake in oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

OUR VERY FAVORITE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Remove sausage meat from casings and brown with ground beef, onion and garlic in a large Dutch oven or sauce pot. Stir frequently until well browned - about 15 minutes. Add basil, oregano, half the parsley,salt, and sugar; mix well. Stir in tomatoes and tomato paste, adding water if mixture is too thick. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, remaining parsley, salt, half the mozzarella and half the Parmesan.
• When sauce is ready,preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 13x9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon about 1-1/2 cups sauce in bottom of pan, then layer with about 4 lasagna noodles, half the cheese mixture and about 1-1/2 cups sauce. Repeat layer again, then top off with a layer of lasagna noodles. Spread with remaining sauce; top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes longer, or until bubbly. Cool 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

OUR FAVORITE NO BOIL LASAGNA

Steps:

• Saute meat, onion, and garlic salt with a small amount of salt. Drain.
• Add spaghetti sauce, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer while assembling cheese mixture.
• In a large bowl combine ricotta, Romano, eggs. Mix well.
• Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish lightly with nonstick spray.
• Spread about 1 cup of meat/sauce mixture in the bottom of dish. Top with 3 or 4 strips uncooked lasagna noodles- however many will fit in a single layer.
• Cover with 1/3 the meat/sauce mixture then 1/3 the cheese/egg mixture, then 1/3 the shredded Mozzarella.
• Repeat layers of uncooked noodles, meat/sauce, cheese/egg mixtures and Mozzarella, ending with the 3rd layer of Mozzarella on top.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
• Cover tightly, bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
• Let stand covered 15 minutes before serving.