Recipe for meat and ricotta Lasagna al Forno that is the perfect pasta dish to make ahead and serve guests.
Prep Time25 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8people
Author: Caitlin Charlton
Ingredients
1lblasagna noodles
Meat and Tomato Sauce
1tablespoonolive oil
1medium yellow oniondiced
3garlic clovesminced
1lbground beef(preferably 80%/20%)
1lbground pork(preferably 80%/20%)
1teaspoonKosher salt
¼teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
48ouncestomato saucehomemade or your favorite jarred
Ricotta Filling
2lbricotta cheese
2cupsshredded mozzarella cheese
1cupgrated parmesan cheese
½cupfinely chopped parsley
1teaspoonKosher salt
½teaspoonfreshly grated black pepper
2eggs, beaten
Topping
2cupsshredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees farenheit and place the baking rack on the middle shelf. Spray a 9x13 deep lasagna pan with cooking spray.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a generous pinch of salt. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions (skip this entire step if using "no-boil" lasagna noodles). Drain the noodles and lay them out on a sheet pan drizzled with a little olive oil to keep them from sticking together.
Meanwhile, make the meat mixture. Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add the olive oil, onions, and a pinch of salt. Cook, sauteing frequently, until the onions are soft, about 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ground beef and pork. Break up the meat with a large spoon and cook, stirring occasionally until fully cooked, about 7 minutes. Carefully drain any excess fat. Add the jarred tomato sauce and stir until combined. Turn off the heat, taste and adjust seasoning, and set aside.
Meanwhile, make the ricotta mixture. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired before mixing in the eggs.
To the baking pan, add a thin, even layer of the meat mixture to just cover the bottom of the pan. Then add the noodles, then the ricotta mixture in an even layer, then more meat mixture. Repeat for 4-5 layers ending on the meat mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese.
Place the baking pan on a sheet pan and bake for 40-60 minutes, or until bubbly and cheese is slightly browned on top. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.