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World's Best Lasagna Recipe

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This World's Best Lasagna recipe is a hearty and satisfying classic Italian dish featuring layers of savory meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Perfect for family gatherings or special occasions, this lasagna requires some prep and cooking time but delivers rich flavors and a comforting, filling meal.

Ingredients

Meat Sauce

  • 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
  • ¾ pound lean ground beef
  • ½ cup minced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
  • 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Lasagna

  • 12 lasagna noodles
  • 16 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Gather Ingredients: Assemble all the ingredients needed for the recipe to ensure you have everything on hand before starting.
  2. Make Meat Sauce: In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the sweet Italian sausage, ground beef, minced onion, and crushed garlic until well browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
  3. Simmer Sauce: Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water. Season with sugar, 2 tablespoons parsley, dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and black pepper. Cover and simmer for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally to blend flavors.
  4. Cook Noodles: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking.
  5. Prepare Ricotta Mixture: In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with the egg, remaining 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix until smooth.
  6. Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking the assembled lasagna.
  7. Assemble Lasagna - First Layer: Spread 1 ½ cups of the meat sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 cooked lasagna noodles lengthwise over the sauce, overlapping slightly.
  8. Add Cheese and Sauce Layers: Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles, then layer with one-third of the sliced mozzarella cheese. Spoon 1 ½ cups meat sauce over the mozzarella layer and sprinkle with ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese.
  9. Repeat Layers: Add another layer of 6 noodles, followed by the remaining ricotta mixture, one-third of the mozzarella cheese, 1 ½ cups meat sauce, and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
  10. Cover and Bake: Cover the baking dish with foil, spraying the foil with cooking spray or ensuring it does not touch the cheese to prevent sticking. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
  11. Uncover and Continue Baking: Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 25 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
  12. Rest Lasagna: Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before serving. This allows the layers to set for easier slicing and better flavor.

Notes

  • To prevent foil from sticking to cheese while baking, either spray the foil with cooking spray or ensure it does not touch the cheese surface.
  • The layering technique uses two layers of noodles slightly overlapping; a video version uses three layers with four noodles each without overlapping.
  • If you prefer the video layering method, use 1 cup meat sauce and 1/3 of the ricotta mixture per layer.
  • Allow the lasagna to rest after baking to improve slicing and flavor melding.

Find it online: https://cookedbygrace.com/worlds-best-lasagna-recipe/