| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 3 loaf pan lasagnas (2 servings each) |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 3 loaf pan lasagnas (2 servings each) |
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 18 lasagna noodles
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds bulk Italian sausage
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- One 6-ounce can tomato paste
- Two 14.5-ounce cans whole tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 18 slices mozzarella
- Ciabatta or baguette slices, for serving
- Halved cherry tomatoes tossed with chopped fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
- Cover a baking sheet with plastic wrap.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add some salt. Cook the lasagna noodles until al dente, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, then lay out flat on the wrapped baking sheet until ready to assemble.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, beef and garlic and cook until the meat is browned completely, about 5 minutes. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat (if needed), add the tomato paste and fry for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and crush with a spoon. Add the basil, 1 tablespoon of the parsley and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 25 to 30 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, add the cottage cheese, ricotta, beaten eggs, 1/2 cup of the grated Parmesan, 2 teaspoons salt and remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and mix together well. Set aside.
- Before or during assembly, cut or tear the lasagna sheets in half crosswise.
- To assemble each loaf pan: Add just enough meat sauce (about 1/4 cup) to cover the bottom of each of three 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch aluminum foil loaf pans. Layer 4 half lasagna sheets, overlapping, over the sauce on each. Top with 1/2 cup of the cottage cheese mixture, spread evenly. Top with 3 slices mozzarella, then 1/2 cup meat sauce, then 4 half lasagna sheets, overlapping. Top with 1/2 cup cottage cheese mixture, spread evenly, 3 slices mozzarella and 1/2 cup meat sauce. Finish with 4 half lasagna sheets, overlapping, 1/2 cup meat sauce and 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan. The lasagnas can be baked right away, covered in foil and refrigerated for up to 2 days or wrapped in foil and frozen.
- If baking right away, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve with a couple of slices of ciabatta or baguette and cherry tomatoes tossed in basil.
- If baking from frozen, put the loaf pan on a baking sheet, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour. Uncover and bake until hot and bubbly, an additional 20 to 25 minutes.
Reviews
Thanks for the heads up on the salt. I cut it in half in the meat mixture. Next time I probably won’t add but 1/2 tbsp. I added 8oz tomato sauce because I was using uncooked noodles and wanted to be sure the lasagna didn’t dry out. Definitely helped. Added 1/2 tbsp of oregano as well after reading the reviews. It was delicious and my hubs loves being able to make a good dinner when I am out of town. Delicious!
I made this recipe AS WRITTEN except for using basil paste instead of dried including the tablespoon of salt ,and it was delicious and flavorful and not salty. It would be nice to offer with some extra plain marinara on the side for those who like a saucier lasagna especially if cooking from frozen. For those who struggle with divvying up the layers fearing you will run out, here are the layers and amounts per the order mentioned in Ree’s video from bottom up:
Grease/spray/butter pan
Layer 1:
Meat Sauce – 1:4 cup
Noodle – 1 strip cut in half
Cheese mixture ~1/2 cup
Mozzarella – 2 square slices
Layer 2:
Sauce – heaping 1/4 cup
Noodle – 1 strip cut in half
Cheese mixture ~1/2 cup
Mozzarella – 2 square slices
Sauce – heaping 1/4 cup
Layer 3:
Noodle – 1 strip cut in half
Meat sauce – heaping 1/4 cup
Parmesan
Grease/spray/butter pan
Layer 1:
Meat Sauce – 1:4 cup
Noodle – 1 strip cut in half
Cheese mixture ~1/2 cup
Mozzarella – 2 square slices
Layer 2:
Sauce – heaping 1/4 cup
Noodle – 1 strip cut in half
Cheese mixture ~1/2 cup
Mozzarella – 2 square slices
Sauce – heaping 1/4 cup
Layer 3:
Noodle – 1 strip cut in half
Meat sauce – heaping 1/4 cup
Parmesan
Cutting the lasagna noodles in half like ree does in video after boiling will help with cutting lasagna later after it’s rested.
From fresh, cook covered 1-hour , uncovered additional 20 mins.
From Frozen, cook covered 2 hours, uncovered additional 20 mins.
Hope this is helpful to others.
You guys should not recommend cooking acidic foods in aluminum pans! Are you trying to make people sick!
Being the first time making this recipe I followed it to a tee. It was very bland. The basil just did not give the lasagna any flavor. I as I read in another comment, it definitely needs oregano or an Italian seasoning blend. I really love the idea of dividing it into loaf pans to have supper in the freezer.
Most of the reviews for this recipe have been very positive. I did not care for it quite as much. It certainly wasn’t bad but it, in my opinion, had some glaring faults. The first time I try a recipe I follow the instructions to the letter. That’s the only fair way to give an honest opinion. I found this recipe too salty for one. I also felt it had a somewhat harsh tomato-ey taste. The dried basil didn’t add much. It cried out for oregano instead. I therefore separated part of the beef/sausage mixture and added oregano along with the dried basil. Definitely needed oregano. I also felt there were just too many ingredients. The mozzarella cheese got lost in the cottage cheese mixture. Over all it was good and I liked the idea of the loaf pans.
We love this recipe! It’s just my husband and me so I rarely made lasagna in the past. Don’t know why I never thought of this before! Duh. My grocery store sells 2 oversized loaf pans in a pack – they’re wide enough to hold 2 lasagna noodles side by side. I’ve made this recipe as stated above, leaving out salt except for the pasta water, and I highly recommend that. I’ve also made it as a vegetable lasagna but added a little additional sauce to make up for no meat. I made it a few weeks ago and we’re having the second pan tonight because I just didn’t feel like cooking. ;o) I got it out of the freezer and let it sit out for a few hours to let it start defrosting, then moved it to the fridge to completely defrost. It will go in the oven as directed above about 5:00 and we’ll have dinner at 6:30. I’ll heat garlic bread in the oven as well. Can’t wait for the heavenly smells that will be coming out of my kitchen in a couple hours! Mmmm.
Love this! When I bake from frozen, I add 30 minutes to the 1 hour time it states covered. Then once the 1.5 hours has hit, I do the additional 25 minutes uncovered!
This was very salty!
Tasty but just tried to bake from frozen as per directions. STILL FROZEN IN MIDDLE! Perhaps should be thawed the day before. Anyone else have this problem?
I followed recipe exactly and was very tasty. My only comment is that it took alot longer to cook from frozen state than the stated time of 1 1/2 hour. I put my oven at 350 and it actually took 2 1/2 hours to completely cook through.