Ultimate No Fail Lasagna Recipes

Steps:

• Place the beef in a large bowl and "pull" it apart with two forks as if you were shredding pulled pork, breaking up the clumps and loosening the meat without compacting it.
• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the meat is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to a large bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pot.
• Spread the beef in an even layer in the same pot and cook undisturbed until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, breaking up any clumps and scraping up any browned bits from the pot, until the meat is browned and completely cooked, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the browned meat with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the pancetta, leaving the fat in the pot.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrots, celery, onions, half the garlic, the bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it's very fragrant and brick red colored, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, bring to a boil and reduce until the liquid is very thick and no smell of alcohol remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the reserved pancetta and beef, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Add the basil and Parmesan rind and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce resembles sloppy joes, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. There shouldn't be any rapid bubbles while cooking. Instead, the ragu should release occasional small bubbles. If the ragu reduces too quickly, add 1/2 cup of water and continue cooking. Repeat if necessary. The ragu needs the full 2 to 2 1/2 hour cook time to develop the flavors.
• Discard the bay leaf, basil and Parmesan rind. Break up any remaining clumps of meat with the back of a spoon, making an even textured sauce. Season with salt and set aside until ready to assemble.
• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the noodles, stirring occasionally and separating them to prevent sticking, until softened and bendable but are still hard and chalky in the center, about 5 minutes. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl of cold water and set aside until ready to assemble.
• Stir together the ricotta, 1 cup of the Parmesan, the remaining grated garlic and 2 teaspoons salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside until ready to assemble.
• Lightly oil a 13-by-9-inch glass or ceramic baking pan. Spread 1 cup of the ragu evenly in the bottom of the pan. Lay a single layer of noodles over the ragu (if you're using long noodles, you will need to cut some noodles to fill the gaps). Spread 1 1/2 cups of the ragu over the noodles. Dollop 3/4 cup of the ricotta mixture over the ragu and spread lightly with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, followed by another layer of noodles. Repeat with the remaining pasta, ragu, ricotta mixture and mozzarella, creating 4 layers of pasta and ending with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. (The lasagna should come just above the top of the pan but it will sink down slightly as it cooks.) Top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
• Lightly oil a piece of foil and cover the pan. Put the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake the lasagna until bubbling gently around the edges, about 1 hour.
• Remove the lasagna from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Remove the foil and then continue to bake the lasagna until the top is browned and crisp around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook onion in olive oil over medium heat until tender, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 3-4 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, water, fresh basil, 2 teaspoons sugar and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally., Meanwhile, cook bulk sausage in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles, 8-10 minutes; drain. Add to sauce; simmer until mixture is thickened, about 1 hour longer., While sauce simmers, preheat oven to 350°. Place sausage links on a rimmed baking sheet; roast until cooked through, 35-40 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly; slice into 1/4-in.-thick pieces., In a small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, egg, dried basil and remaining sugar., In a greased 13x9-in. baking dish, spread 2 cups sauce. Arrange 4 noodles over sauce; spread with a third of the ricotta mixture. Add 7 provolone slices, a third of the sliced sausage and 1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times, using only 1 cup sauce per layer. Spread with 2 cups sauce (reserve remaining sauce for serving on the side), remaining 2-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese (dish will be full)., Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, uncovered, until bubbly and deep golden brown, 60-65 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Serve with remaining meat sauce.

Steps:

• Brown meat and drain off fat.
• Add spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, salt and pepper.
• Cook noodles in boiling water until tender.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In separate bowl, mix together ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, parmesan, eggs and herbs.
• In a 9x13 pan lay down layer of cooked noodles only slightly overlapping.
• Cover noodles with 1/3 of meat sauce and 1/2 cheese mixture.
• Cover with another layer of noodles.
• Cover with 1/3 meat sauce and rest of the cheese mixture.
• Cover with another layer of noodles.
• Cover with remaining meat mixture and top with remaining shredded cheeses.
• Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let stand for at least 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook the lasagna noodles in plenty of boiling salted water until pliable and barely tender, about 10 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Drain the noodles thoroughly and coat with olive oil to keep them moist and easy to work with.
• Coat a large skillet with olive oil, add beef and sausage and brown until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. In a food processor, combine the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, basil, parsley, an oregano. Process until pureed, add to the pan with the ground meat and stir to combine. Stir in the flour. Add the wine and cook until it has reduced by half. Stir in the tomatoes and add the heavy cream and the cinnamon.
• In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta and the parmesan. Stir in the eggs and season with salt and pepper.
• To assemble the lasagna: Coat the bottom of a deep 13 by 9-inch pan with olive oil. Arrange 4 noodles lengthwise in a slightly overlapping layer on the sauce. Then, line each end of the pan with a lasagna noodle. This forms a collar that holds in the corners. Dollop 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the pasta, spread to the edges with a spatula. Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture over the ricotta. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella on top of the ricotta. Top with a ladle full of sauce, spread evenly. Repeat with the next layer of noodles, ricotta, sauce, and cheeses. Top last layer with noodles, sauce, shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Tap the pan to force out air bubbles. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven. Let lasagna rest for 30 minutes so the noodles will settle and cut easily. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add tomato paste, water, spaghetti sauce mix, sugar, parsley, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. , In a bowl, combine eggs with cottage cheese, half of the cheddar cheese and half of the mozzarella. Set aside. Spoon a third of the meat sauce into a 13x9-in. baking dish. Place half of the uncooked noodles over sauce. Top with a third of meat sauce and press down. Spoon cottage cheese mixture over all. Cover with remaining noodles and meat sauce. Cover and refrigerate overnight., Bake, covered, at 350° for 1 hour. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Freeze option: After assembling, sprinkle lasagna with remaining cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Cover and freeze unbaked lasagna. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake lasagna as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°.

Steps:

• Make the meat sauce: In a large bowl, gently combine the ground sirloin, sausage, and prosciutto, being careful not to overmix. Shape into 5-6 large, shaggy meatballs.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the meatballs and brown on all sides, 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and repeat with the remaining meatballs.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion. Season with salt and sauté until translucent, 5-7 minutes.
• Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds. Sauté for 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
• Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the color turns dark red, 3-4 minutes.
• Deglaze the pot with the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, and cook until the liquid has almost evaporated, 1-2 minutes.
• Add the canned tomatoes, passata, carrot, butter, the browned meatballs, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1½-2 hours, until the sauce has thickened.
• Remove the sauce from the heat and discard the carrot, then use a potato masher to crush the meatballs into small pieces. Season the sauce with more salt to taste. If the sauce tastes too acidic, add the granulated sugar. Stir in the basil leaves and set aside.
• Make the béchamel sauce: Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once the butter starts to foam, add the flour. Cook, whisking constantly, for about 3 minutes, until no lumps remain but the roux has not yet browned. While whisking, slowly pour in the milk until evenly incorporated. Whisk in the salt, garlic powder, and nutmeg. Bring to a low simmer and cook, whisking often, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 8-10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
• Assemble the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9 x 13 x 3-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
• Add no-boil lasagna noodles to a large baking dish or bowl. Cover with hot water and add the olive oil. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until the noodles are a bit more pliable, but still snap when broken in half.
• Spread about ¾ cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add a layer of lasagna noodles. Spread about 1 heaping cup of béchamel over noodles in an even layer. Top with 1 heaping cup of meat sauce, followed by ¼ cup fontina and ¼ cup grated mozzarella. Add another layer of noodles, arranging in the opposite direction as the first layer, and top with about 1 heaping cup of béchamel. Repeat to make 4 more layers, ending with a layer of lasagna noodles.
• Spread 1 cup of béchamel, then 1 cup of meat sauce over the noodles. Scatter the remaining ½ cup of fontina, the fresh mozzarella cheese, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. Reserve the remaining meat sauce for serving. Cover the baking dish with a sheet of foil (grease the underside with nonstick spray to prevent the cheese from sticking) and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake the lasagna for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Broil for 1-2 minutes, if desired, to brown the cheese. Remove from the oven and let the lasagna sit for at least 20 minutes to cool.
• Garnish the lasagna with the basil, then serve with the reserved meat sauce alongside.
• Enjoy!