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Classic Homemade Lasagna with Rich Meat Sauce and Creamy Ricotta Recipe

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4.1 from 43 reviews

This Classic Lasagna Recipe delivers a rich and comforting Italian favorite, featuring layers of savory Italian sausage tomato sauce, creamy ricotta cheese mixture with fresh basil, tender no-boil noodles, and melted mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses. Slow-simmered with fresh aromatics and wine, this lasagna offers a perfect balance of flavors and textures, baked to golden bubbly perfection. Ideal for family gatherings or weekend dinners, it serves 8 and takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes to prepare and cook.

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1½ pounds Italian sausage (bulk or removed from casing)
  • ¾ cup dry red wine
  • 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves

Ricotta Mixture

  • 1 (15-oz) container whole milk ricotta (about 1¾ cups)
  • 3 oz cream cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
  • ¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup roughly chopped fresh basil

Assembly

  • 12 oven ready, no boil lasagna noodles (such as Barilla)
  • 16 oz shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Sauce: Place the onions, garlic, carrot, and celery into a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse until finely minced but not puréed, creating a flavorful vegetable base.
  2. Cook the Sausage: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking it into small pieces, until slightly browned but not fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  3. Sauté the Vegetables: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot, reduce heat to medium, and add the minced vegetables. Cook, stirring frequently, until very soft and translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Avoid browning by reducing heat if necessary.
  4. Add Wine and Tomatoes: Pour in the red wine, stirring to deglaze and scrape any browned bits from the bottom. Cook until the wine is mostly absorbed by the vegetables, a few minutes. Then add crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, salt, black pepper, sugar, dried thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
  5. Finish the Sauce: Chop the partially cooked sausage into smaller pieces, return it to the pot, and continue simmering, covered, until fully cooked and flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed and discard bay leaves.
  6. Prepare the Ricotta Mixture: In a food processor with metal blade, combine ricotta, cream cheese, egg, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and pepper. Process until evenly combined. Add fresh basil and pulse until finely chopped and incorporated.
  7. Preheat Oven: Set oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking.
  8. Assemble the Lasagna: Spread about 1½ cups of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Arrange 3 no-boil noodles over the sauce, leaving slight gaps for expansion. Dollop one-third of the ricotta filling over noodles and spread evenly. Sprinkle with ¾ cup shredded mozzarella. Repeat layering sauce, noodles, ricotta, and mozzarella two more times. Top with the remaining 3 noodles, spoon remaining sauce over noodles, then sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano on top.
  9. Bake Covered: Spray a large piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray, cover lasagna tightly with foil sprayed side down, and bake for 40 minutes to cook through and meld flavors.
  10. Bake Uncovered: Carefully remove foil, increase oven temperature to 400°F (205°C), and bake uncovered until noodles are tender, sauce bubbles, and edges are golden and puffed, about 20 minutes.
  11. Rest and Serve: Remove lasagna from oven and let stand for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving to allow it to set properly.

Notes

  • Use no-boil noodles to save time without pre-cooking pasta sheets.
  • For best flavor, prefer whole milk ricotta and whole milk mozzarella cheeses.
  • Keep an eye on vegetable sauté to prevent browning, which can alter the sauce’s sweetness and color.
  • Allowing the lasagna to rest after baking helps it hold its shape when sliced.
  • If unavailable, substitute dried basil for fresh but reduce quantity by half.

Find it online: https://recipethrive.com/classic-homemade-lasagna-with-rich-meat-sauce-and-creamy-ricotta-recipe/