I took a couple shortcuts for this recipe by using store-bought marinara and boxed pasta sheets. It saves a ton of time without sacrificing any flavor. I think it’s absolutely perfect as-is, but also understand some people are looking to make sauce from scratch. You can used my best homemade sauce—it’ll NEVER let you down. Regardless of the route you go, make sure to follow these tips.
DON’T OVERCOOK YOUR NOODLES
Lasagna noodles need structure—they have a lot of ingredients layered between them!—so they can’t be too mushy. Make sure to cook them until they’re very al dente; they’re ready typically two minutes before the amount of time on the box.
OIL ‘EM UP
While you’re making your beef and ricotta mixtures, your lasagna noodles will typically be hanging out in a colander, getting stuck together (worst nightmare). To prevent this, after you drain the noodles from the pasta pot, slick them with olive oil and lay them flat on a baking sheet to cool.
DRAIN BEEF
Sometimes when you have a short of time when making lasagna, you skip this step when making a meat sauce and this will makealways regret it—the sauce tastes so greasy! Draining the fat from the skillet is a must for your lasagna layers, which will already have a lot of fat from cheese.
SEASON YOUR RICOTTA MIXTURE
I always add a secret ingredient to my lasagna ricotta mixture: CINNAMON. The ricotta mixture always gets overlooked and, therefore, tastes kinda bland. Make sure to season it generously with salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese, too!
DON’T OVER BAKE
Lasagna is one of those dishes that firms up a lot as it sets. Even though it might look like a cheesy, bubbly mess in the oven, if it’s warmed all the way through it will be perfect once you let it sit for like 15 minutes. When you over bake the pasta you run the risk of the noodles drying out and getting too crispy.
This Recipe Provides
YIELDS: 8 SERVINGS
PREP TIME: 0 HOURS 20 MINS
TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 10 MINS
INGREDIENTS
340 grams Lasagna noodles
5 ml or 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
450 grams of ground beef.
2 cloves garlic, minced
4.2 grams or 1 tsp. of dried oregano
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4.2 grams or 1 tsp. of Cinnamon
940 ml of marinara sauce
475 gram of ricotta cheese
64 grams freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
32 grams of chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
0.68 kg of sliced mozarella
DIRECTIONS
First – Preheat oven to 190ºC. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, less 2 minutes. Drain and drizzle a bit of olive oil to prevent noodles from sticking together.
Second – Meanwhile, in a large skillet pan over medium-high heat, heat a splash of oil. Cook ground beef until no longer pink, breaking up with a wooden spoon, then drain fat. Return beef to skillet and add garlic and oregano and stir for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, then add marinara and stir until warmed through.
Third – Combine ricotta, 32 grams of Parmesan cheese, 4.2 grams of cinnamon and parsley in a large mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Fourth – In a large casserole dish, spread a thin layer of meat sauce, a single layer of lasagna noodles, a layer of ricotta mixture, and a single layer of mozzarella, then repeat layers. Top last layer of noodles with meat sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella.
Fifth – Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then increase temperature to 205ºC and bake uncovered for 18 to 20 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Lasagna Traditional Recipe (Halal) 