Classic Lasagna
  • Dinner

Classic Lasagna

While not a 30-minute meal, this lasagna is quicker and more straightforward than most. If you’re in a real time crunch, use your favorite jarred red sauce. For greater success with the lasagna noodles, which have a tendency to stick together, boil them in the largest pot possible or work in batches — they need as much water as possible to move freely so they don’t clump. This lasagna can be assembled, baked and refrigerated up to five days ahead, or frozen up to a month ahead if wrapped tightly.

6 servings

~2 hrs

Ingredients

For the Sauce

  • Olive Oil2 tbsp
  • Italian Sausage, casings removed optional1 lb
  • Yellow Onions, finely chopped×1
  • Garlic, finely chopped2 cloves
  • Kosher Saltto taste
  • Tomato Paste2 tbsp
  • Canned Whole Tomatoes, peeled1 can
  • Crushed Tomatoes1 can

For the Assembly

  • Kosher Saltto taste
  • Mozzarella, grated or shredded into small pieces1.5 lbs
  • Ricotta16 oz
  • Parmesan, coarsely grated1 cup
  • Heavy Cream¼ cup
  • Black Pepper, freshly groundto taste
  • Lasagna Noodles, dried, not the no-boil variety1 lb
  • Olive Oilto taste

Instructions

  1. Cook the Sausage

    Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add sausage, if using, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s starting to brown but not yet crisp, about 5 minutes.

  2. Cook the Onion and Garlic

    Add onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is totally softened and translucent (without letting it brown), 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring until the tomato paste has turned a deeper brick red color, tinting the oil and onions a fiery orange color, about 2 minutes.

  3. Simmer the Sauce

    Using your hands, crush the whole tomatoes into smaller, bite-size pieces and add them and the crushed tomatoes, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Fill one of the tomato cans halfway with water and add it to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato sauce has thickened and flavors have come together, 20 to 30 minutes.

  4. Prepare the Oven and Water

    Heat oven to 375 degrees and set a large pot of salted water to boil.

  5. Mix the Cheese

    Set aside 1 cup mozzarella. In a medium bowl, combine remaining mozzarella, ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan and cream; season with salt and pepper and set aside.

  6. Cook the Noodles

    Cook lasagna noodles in the large pot of salted boiling water until just softened (before they are even al dente), about 4 minutes. Drain and separate any noodles that are trying to stick together, slicking them with a bit of olive oil to prevent them from sticking further.

  7. Layer the Lasagna

    Spoon a bit of sauce on the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish and top with a layer of noodles, avoiding any heavy overlap.

  8. Add Sauce and Cheese

    Top with about 1 ¼ cups of sauce, and dollop ¼ of the cheese mixture over. Top with another layer of noodles and repeat three more times, ending with the last of the noodles (depending on size of the noodle/shape of the baking dish, you may have a few extra noodles) and the last of the sauce. Top with reserved 1 cup mozzarella and more Parmesan, if you like.

  9. Prepare for Baking

    Cover loosely with aluminum foil and place baking dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet (to prevent any overflow from burning on the bottom of your oven).

  10. Bake the Lasagna

    Bake until pasta is completely tender and cooked through and sauce is bubbling up around the edges, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and increase temperature to 450 degrees. Continue to bake until lasagna is golden brown on top with frilly, crispy edges and corners, another 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating.

Storage

This lasagna can be assembled, baked and refrigerated up to five days ahead, or frozen up to a month ahead if wrapped tightly.

Recipe from cooking.nytimes.com

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