Name: Classic Lasagna with Meat Sauce Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 oz sweet Italian sausage links; 8 oz lean ground beef; 1 small onion; 2 garlic cloves; 28 oz whole tomatoes in juice; 2 tbsp tomato paste; ½ tsp salt; 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves; 1 large egg; ½ tsp ground black pepper; 15 oz part skim ricotta cheese; 4 oz part skim mozzarella cheese; ¾ cup Parmesan cheese; 8 oz lasagna noodles

This recipe calls for no-boil noodles for this popular dish- they’re a real time saver. Layer them straight from the package with lots of sauce; as the lasagna bakes and absorbs the liquid, the pasta will soften and expand. If your package contains 15 noodles, use an extra noodle in the first 3 layers when assembling lasagna.

How To Make Classic Lasagna with Meat Sauce

Your classic lasagna recipe that's oozing with a delicious meaty sauce before being smothered in a bed of delicious cheese.

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 1 hr 5 mins

Total: 1 hr 35 mins

Serves:

Ingredients

Meat Sauce:

8 oz sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed
8 oz lean ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
28 oz whole tomatoes in juice, + 1 14 1/2-16 oz. can
2 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

Cheese Filling:

1 large egg
½ tsp ground black pepper
15 oz part skim ricotta cheese
4 oz part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 C.)
¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
8 oz lasagna noodles, no-boil (12 noodles)

Instructions

To prepare Meat Sauce:

Heat 4 quart saucepan over medium high heat until hot.
Add sausage and ground beef, and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Add onion and cook until meat is browned and onion is tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up sausage with side of spoon.
Pour off drippings from saucepan.
Add garlic to meat mixture in saucepan and cook 1 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, and salt, breaking up tomatoes with spoon; heat to boiling.
Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in basil. Makes about 6 cups sauce.
Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix egg, pepper, ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan until blended.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Into 13x9-inch glass baking dish, evenly spoon 2 cup sauce.
Arrange 3 noodles over sauce, making sure noodles do not touch sides of dish (they will expand).
Top with 1 ¼ cups ricotta mixture, 3 noodles, and 2 cups sauce.
Arrange 3 noodles on top; spread with remaining ricotta mixture.
Top with remaining noodles and remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
If making a day ahead, cover and refrigerate.
Cover lasagna with foil and bake 30 minutes (1 hour if refrigerated) or until hot and bubbly.
Let lasagna stand 10 minutes for easier serving.