Classic Lasagna
This is the best lasagna recipe I have found yet. No more runny, sloppy lasagna, and the taste is great!
This is the best lasagna recipe I have found yet. No more runny, sloppy lasagna, and the taste is great!
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons dried parsley
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1 pound lasagna noodles
- 2 pounds cottage cheese
- 1 1/2 pounds mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 pound provolone cheese
- 3 large cans tomatoes
- 2 medium cans tomato sauce
- 1 small can tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried marjoram
- Carbohydrate 34.0108476604401 g
- Cholesterol 139.702603067933 mg
- Fat 29.9339727674671 g
- Fiber 2.45203337444937 g
- Protein 47.9591668769399 g
- Saturated Fat 15.1588115502715 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (411g)
- Sodium 854.903811611239 mg
- Sugar 31.5588142859907 g
- Trans Fat 3.63330393568619 g
- Calories 599 calories
Step-by-step
- Saute onions & garlic in oil. Break up tomatoes in blender 1-2 seconds and add to pan. Add remaining ingredients except beef. Cook over medium heat 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Brown meat, drain fat and add to sauce. Cook 30 minutes more. Let stand uncovered if thin.
- Combine Cottage Cheese and sugar; set aside.
- Cook Lasagna noodles per package directions. Drain, then place in cold water to stop the cooking. Pat noodles dry before assembling recipe.
- Cover bottom of 15 X 22 inch pan (oiled) with ½ to 1 cup of sauce. Layer a layer of noodles on top. Drop teaspoonfuls of cottage cheese/sugar mix on top (not a lot). Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Add 2nd layer of noodles, rest of cottage cheese, more of sauce, more parmesan. Add 3rd layer of noodles, rest of sauce, then ALL of the mozzarella/provolone cheese mixture. Bake for 45 minutes until hot and bubbly.
A properly constructed baked pasta emerges from the oven with a rigid perimeter and a molten interior that holds its shape when cut into precise portions. Without adequate moisture control during the three-hour simmer, tomato sauce releases excess water that pools at the base of the baking dish instead of binding to the beef and herbs. Thorough draining of the boiled pasta sheets prevents the layers from sliding apart under the weight of the cheese. Patting the noodles dry with kitchen towels creates friction against the sauce and dairy.
Scaling this formulation down requires careful recalculation of the pan dimensions, which are specified at an unusually large fifteen by twenty-two inches. Halving the ingredients to fit a standard nine by thirteen-inch casserole dish demands adjusting the meat and tomato quantities downward while keeping the layering sequence intact. Cottage cheese combined with granulated sugar provides the traditional dairy layer, but reducing the volume means watching the baking time closely so the center reaches serving temperature before the edges overcook. Too much dairy volume in a smaller vessel traps steam and liquefies the structure.
Sequencing the preparation prevents kitchen bottlenecks during assembly. Browning the ground beef separately and draining the rendered fat before stirring the meat into the long-simmering tomato sauce keeps grease from separating into distinct pools during the forty-five-minute bake at moderate heat. Stacking the components in advance means chilling the unbaked pan for no longer than twenty-four hours to prevent the noodles from absorbing too much liquid and turning mushy. Allowing the baked dish to rest uncovered at room temperature for fifteen minutes firms the mozzarella and provolone topping for slicing.
Testing this preparation reveals that skipping the initial tomato pulse in the blender leaves chunks that interrupt the uniform mouthfeel of the meat sauce. Dried basil, oregano, parsley, and marjoram require adequate heat duration to hydrate fully into the canned tomato base without tasting raw. Fresh garlic minced finely disperses evenly through the aromatics rather than forming bitter pockets. Proper pan preparation with oil ensures the bottom pasta layer lifts cleanly without tearing.
