Lasagna

Making lasagna from scratch requires several steps, but the results are well worth the effort. Here is a detailed recipe that will walk you through the process:

Ingredients:

For the Meat Sauce:
– 1 pound (450g) ground beef
– 1 onion, finely chopped
– 3 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 can (14 oz/400g) crushed tomatoes
– 1 can (6 oz/170g) tomato paste
– 1 teaspoon dried oregano
– 1 teaspoon dried basil
– Salt and pepper to taste
– Olive oil for cooking

For the Cheese Filling:
– 15 oz (425g) ricotta cheese
– 1 egg
– 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
– 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
– Salt and pepper to taste

Other Ingredients:
– 9 lasagna noodles (oven-ready or boiled according to package instructions)
– 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
– 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (for topping)
– Fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Meat Sauce:
1. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil for medium heating. Put in the chopped onion and sauté until it turns brown meaning that it is ready, this would probably take roughly 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the minced garlic and let it cook for another one minute of stirring until the garlic aroma appears.
3. Next, incorporate the ground beef into the skillet. Malta divide and sauté until golden brown and done to your desire, about 8-10 minutes.
4. Sauté the onions in the pan and then mix in the crushed tomatoes, paste, oregano, and basil. Add salt and pepper and sprinkle all over the dish. Stew on low heat for 10-15 minutes and stir the sauce from time to time, until the sauce becomes more dense. Pour it from the sautéed pan it was in, using a colander spoon to exclude the larger pieces of Worchestershire sauce.
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2. Prepare the Cheese Filling:
1. Put the ricotta mixture into a large bowl and add a beaten egg, 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup chopped parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined. Set aside.

3. Assemble the Lasagna:
1. Then turn the heat on to preheat the oven at 375 °F of 190°C.
2. A thin layer of meat sauce is spread at the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish in order to avoid the noodles stick with the pan.
3. Lay down another layer of lasagna noodles and again, don’t stress if they extend past the sauce slightly.
4. Pour half of the ricotta cheeses mixture over the noodles and make it spread out to the edges of the dish.
5. Next spread half the meat sauce over the layer of ricotta cheese mixture, covering it flatly.
6. Pulse about one-third of the shredded mozzarella cheese over the meat sauce.
7. Repeat the layers: noodles, the rest of the ricotta cheese mixture, the rest of the meat sauce and finally, one third of the mozzarella cheese.
8. Cover the mushroom mixture with the last round of noodles and spread the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese over the surface. Place the grated Parmesan cheese sparingly over the mozzarella cheese.

4. Bake the Lasagna:
1. Finally use the foil in covering the baking dish but make sure you keep the edges raised to avoid direct contact between cheese and foil.
2. Finally, transfer the lasagna into the pre-heated oven and bake for about a half an hour or 25-30 minutes.
3. Take off the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted well and bordering on brown.
4. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
5. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, if desired, then slice and serve.

tip
– You can customize the meat sauce by adding diced vegetables like bell peppers, carrots and mushrooms for extra flavor and nutrition.
– Make sure to rest the lasagna before slicing to thicken it, and make it easier to serve.
– Leftover lasagna can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage. Just reheat the oven or microwave before serving.

Enjoy your own homemade lasagna!

Calories in Lasagna