The Best Homemade Lasagna

This lasagna is one of my absolute favourite meals. I can’t tell which I love more: the slowly braised ragu sauce, the creamy ricotta béchamel, or the tender noodles that melt in your mouth—or maybe it’s all of the above. With a little love and effort, you can make the best Sunday supper that your whole family will absolutely love!

This is perfect for a rainy sunday! For timing, I suggest starting the sauce around 11 am, so that the sauce has time to cook, and gives you plenty of time to prep the other components, so that around 4 pm, you can assemble the lasagna and it’ll be ready for supper!

Lasagna

Dinner

Italian

Yield: 8-10

Author: Kirsten Deneka

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The Best Homemade Lasagna

Prep time: 1 HourCook time: 3 H & 40 MTotal time: 4 H & 40 M

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Ingredients

Pasta dough:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs

Ragu:

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 3-4 italian sausages
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 carrots (diced)
• 1 celery stalk (diced)
• 1 onion (diced)
• 5 cloves of garlic (grated)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1⁄4 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 cans of san marzano tomatoes
• 1/2 cup beef broth (or chicken)
• 1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 2 bay leaves

Ricotta béchamel:

• 3 tbsp salted butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 package of traditional ricotta (475 g)
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Additional:

• 3 cups shredded mozzarella
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella (~ 350)
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan
• Fresh basil for topping

Instructions

To prepare the ragu:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F.
2. Heat an oven-safe pot on medium heat. Add in the ground beef and sausage and allow them to brown for about 4-5 minutes.
3. Add in your diced onion, carrot and celery and sauté for about 5-7 minutes or until softened. Season with salt & pepper.
4. Add in tomato paste, seasonings, and garlic and cook out for about 3 minutes. Then deglaze with the wine and cook out for another 3 minutes.
5. Add your canned tomatoes, broth, vinegar, sugar and bay leaves and stir to combine. Add another large pinch of salt.
6. Cover the pot and add to the oven. Bake for 3 hours, stirring halfway to ensure the sauce isn't sticking to the bottom.
7. Allow the sauce to cool before adding it to the lasagna assembly.

1. Add the flour to a work surface and form a well. Add in your eggs and using a fork, slowly incorporate the eggs into the flour.
2. When it becomes a shaggy dough, knead for 8-10 minutes or until a smooth dough is formed. Add more flour if needed while kneading. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
3. Split the dough into 4 equal pieces and cover in flour. Using a roller or pasta attachment, feed the dough in starting from size 1 and make your way up to size 6.
4. Slice your pasta into lasagna sizes to fit your casserole dish (I suggest using a 9'x13' or a 10'x14'), and ensure they are sprinkled with flour so they don't stick.
5. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, boil each noodle for 30-45 seconds then add to a wire-lined baking sheet until ready to assemble the lasagna.

For the béchamel:

1. Heat a medium pot on medium-low heat. Add in the butter to melt. Add in the flour and whisk to combine, cooking for about 1 minute to ensure the flour is cooked out.
2. Slowly add in the milk about 1/2 cup at a time, allowing the sauce to absorb the milk. When the milk is fully combined, simmer the sauce for about 2-3 minutes or until thickened.
3. The whisk in the ricotta, and season with the nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. When heated through, remove from heat and allow to cool for before assembling the lasagna.

For assembly:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. To assemble, start by adding a small spoonful of sauce to lightly coat the bottom of the dish.
3. Then layer the noodles, ragu, béchamel, then add about 1/4 of the cheeses. Layer another 3 times, ensuring to leave enough cheese for the top.
4. Then bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Wait 10-15 minutes before serving and enjoy!

Recommended Products

Anchor Hocking 4.8 Quart Rectangular Glass Baking Dish

KitchenAid 3-Piece Pasta Roller & Cutter Set

Oxo Good Grips Etched Zester and Grater

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