We created this classic lasagna with a homemade beef ragu. Simmered gently on the stovetop, the sauce develops a meaty richness while letting the brightness of the tomatoes shine through. The ricotta filling is mixed with nutty Parmesan to add flavor and to temper the sharpness of the garlic. We worked hard to get the right balance of ricotta and tomato sauce in the layers of this traditional lasagna, since each element has its own voice. Our recipe uses less mozzarella than many other versions – we prefer the creaminess of ricotta over the stringiness of melted mozzarella. Look for shorter lasagna noodles at the store – you won’t need to cut them when assembling the final dish.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 5 hr |
| Active: | 2 hr 30 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 5 hr |
| Active: | 2 hr 30 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing
- 3 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/8-inch pieces
- 1 large carrot, cut into 1/8-inch pieces
- 1 large celery stalk, cut into 1/8-inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/8-inch pieces
- 6 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- Two 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 large sprigs basil
- 1 large piece of Parmesan rind
- 1 pound dried lasagna noodles (see Cook’s Note)
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta
- 1 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 8 ounces whole milk mozzarella, grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 2 cups)
Instructions
- Place the beef in a large bowl and “pull” it apart with two forks as if you were shredding pulled pork, breaking up the clumps and loosening the meat without compacting it.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the meat is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to a large bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Spread the beef in an even layer in the same pot and cook undisturbed until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, breaking up any clumps and scraping up any browned bits from the pot, until the meat is browned and completely cooked, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the browned meat with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the pancetta, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrots, celery, onions, half the garlic, the bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it’s very fragrant and brick red colored, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, bring to a boil and reduce until the liquid is very thick and no smell of alcohol remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the reserved pancetta and beef, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Add the basil and Parmesan rind and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce resembles sloppy joes, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. There shouldn’t be any rapid bubbles while cooking. Instead, the ragu should release occasional small bubbles. If the ragu reduces too quickly, add 1/2 cup of water and continue cooking. Repeat if necessary. The ragu needs the full 2 to 2 1/2 hour cook time to develop the flavors.
- Discard the bay leaf, basil and Parmesan rind. Break up any remaining clumps of meat with the back of a spoon, making an even textured sauce. Season with salt and set aside until ready to assemble.
- Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the noodles, stirring occasionally and separating them to prevent sticking, until softened and bendable but are still hard and chalky in the center, about 5 minutes. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl of cold water and set aside until ready to assemble.
- Stir together the ricotta, 1 cup of the Parmesan, the remaining grated garlic and 2 teaspoons salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside until ready to assemble.
- Lightly oil a 13-by-9-inch glass or ceramic baking pan. Spread 1 cup of the ragu evenly in the bottom of the pan. Lay a single layer of noodles over the ragu (if you’re using long noodles, you will need to cut some noodles to fill the gaps). Spread 1 1/2 cups of the ragu over the noodles. Dollop 3/4 cup of the ricotta mixture over the ragu and spread lightly with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, followed by another layer of noodles. Repeat with the remaining pasta, ragu, ricotta mixture and mozzarella, creating 4 layers of pasta and ending with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. (The lasagna should come just above the top of the pan but it will sink down slightly as it cooks.) Top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
- Lightly oil a piece of foil and cover the pan. Put the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake the lasagna until bubbling gently around the edges, about 1 hour.
- Remove the lasagna from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Remove the foil and then continue to bake the lasagna until the top is browned and crisp around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 780 |
| Total Fat | 40 g |
| Saturated Fat | 18 g |
| Carbohydrates | 62 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Protein | 42 g |
| Cholesterol | 119 mg |
| Sodium | 1167 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 780 |
| Total Fat | 40 g |
| Saturated Fat | 18 g |
| Carbohydrates | 62 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Protein | 42 g |
| Cholesterol | 119 mg |
| Sodium | 1167 mg |
Reviews
Really quite tasty. I love this method of cooking the ground beef! And the ham was a yummy surprise. For my taste though, I think it needs oregano or Italian seasoning. And I would only use half the sugar and half the chili powder next time.
This was an excellent recipe though I did increase the ground beef in the sauce. Did any phone else find the layering instructions confusing?
I didn’t find this to be the best. Too much parmesan, not enough Meat or Ricotta. Not worth the time or effort.
A good American lasagna (or American-Italian). This wouldn’t pass muster in Italy but we’re not in Italy.
It sounds delish. Wondering why no boil noodles can’t be used?
I don’t have a glass or ceramic 9×13 pan. Can I use a metal baking pan?
This was excellent. The whole family loved it. I used a standard (not deep) 9″x13″ Pyrex casserole and only used about 2/3 to 3/4 of a package of Skinner lasagna pasta, using three unbroken strips per layer. I was pretty precise in measuring the ragu and ended up with only three layers worth + the smaller amount you spread on the bottom. Since this recipe left me with some unused ricotta, I prepared that as per the recipe and used it to cover top layer of pasta along with the parmesan and mozzarella – this ended up just above the lip of the dish. This will go into our regular meal rotation.
The balance of cheeses is perfect and the addition of the grated garlic to the ricotta is sublime. Rarely does every member of the family devour the same dish but this lasagna has that distinction
I doubled cheeses, meat sauce, added 28oz frozen spinach in the layers, used only 3layers of noodles. Froze up beautifully and everyone loved it. Really good ratio of ricotta to mozzarella.
For this recipe to fill a 9X13 baking dish 4 layers deep it needs double the meat and cheese. It could also do with half, or even less, of the salt.