Yesterday was a day to stay in and bake. Freezing cold temperatures, high winds, rain, snow and then ice and then more snow and rain. It looked like I wasn’t going anywhere and so I built a fire and put on some music and went to the kitchen. I checked the fridge and the pantry and decided to make something so delicious it would take my mind off the weather. I decided to make comfort food but what would it be.
I stared at the pantry for a bit and then headed over to the refrigerator and found all the ingredients to make my delicious Classic Lasagna. That would be so good for dinner and then I’ll freeze leftovers for another cold day. How does one make a homemade lasagna that tastes truly authentic?
It’s all in the sauce. Sometimes I make my own. But yesterday I used my favorite store-bought sauce: Ragu Chunky Tomato, Garlic and Onion.
I actually like it better than my homemade. Oh, it’s not that I couldn’t make my own sauce, I just like Ragu Chunky sauces better for the recipes I made. Now that’s not a plug for a company product. That’s just my opinion. When it comes to making the best Lasagna, I take no other shortcuts but Ragu. Its just that good.
My Classic Lasagna
9-12 lasagna noodles
Meat Sauce
1 (48 ounce) jar Ragu Chunky Tomato, Garlic and Onion
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 yellow onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 pound ground chuck
1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
For the cheese layer:
2 cups whole milk mozzarella cheese grated
1 large egg
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 ounces container or two cups whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375° degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook according to package directions for a little less than the minimum cook time. I usually cook them for 7 minutes.
Drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water. Lay down parchment paper or wax paper on your counter and lay the noodles out to keep them from sticking together.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a fork. I like to leave some larger pieces. Continue to cook until ground beef is no longer pink. Add the salt and pepper. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
Add the Ragu, Italian seasoning and parsley to the skillet of ground beef and stir. Bring sauce to a simmer and then reduce the temperature to low. Taste to make sure it is seasoned to your liking. Cover and cook at a low simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Make your cheese filling while the sauce is simmering. Crack an egg into a medium bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add the basil, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Mix in the ricotta, Mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese and stir. Set aside.
To assemble the lasagna,
Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Spoon a cup of the sauce on the bottom. Next lay 3 noodles in an even layer over the sauce and then spread about a third of the remaining sauce over the noodles.
Using a spoon, drop about half the cheese mixture on top of that layer of sauce and spread it with the back of the spoon or an offset spatula. Sprinkle a cup of Mozzarella on top.
Repeat those same steps for another layer, using 3 noodles, ½ of the remaining sauce, the remaining ricotta and ½ the remaining and ½ of the remaining Parmesan. For the top layer of the lasagna, use the remaining 3 noodles, the rest of the sauce, and finally the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan.
Cover the lasagna with a piece of foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray on the underside (to prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil).
To Bake:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 45 minutes with foil on. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes or until cheese has browned and everything it hot all the way through. Remove from oven, cover lightly with foil and rest at least 20-30 minutes before cutting and serving. Sprinkle with dried parsley flakes or basil strips, cut into squares and serve.
NOTES AND TIPS
The longer you cook your meat sauce the more concentrated the flavors and the less liquid. If you want to cut perfect slices and not have a soupy mess on your hands, cooking your sauce until its very thick is a big step in the right direction.
Boil your pasta for two-thirds of the time, according to package directions. Most lasagna pasta will cook for 9-11 minutes. I pull mine out at around 7 minutes. I don’t want to cook the noodles all the way through because once they hit the oven for baking, they can get mushier than al dente. So, draining them early means they will soak up any extra liquid in the sauce and after the hour in the oven, your pasta will be perfectly cooked, not mushy and help hold those beautiful layers together.
Don’t use fresh mozzarella. Instead, buy a block of whole milk mozzarella cheese and grate it yourself. Don’t use the pre-grated mozzarella cheese.
Leftover lasagna can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days after baking. You can also freeze lasagna after baking, for up to 3 months. Thaw and then reheat in the microwave or in a covered dish in the oven until it is steaming hot.
To make ahead: You can assemble the lasagna ahead of time and refrigerate it, covered, for up to 24 hours before baking. If you are baking a lasagna that is fully chilled from being in the refrigerator, add about 15 minutes to the baking time.
Freezer Instructions: You can assemble the lasagna and then freeze it before baking. Wrap the lasagna tightly before freezing, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to cook the lasagna, let it thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Then bake as directed in the recipe, adding about 15 minutes to the baking time since a lasagna that is cold from the refrigerator will take longer to heat through.
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