New Best Recipe Hearty Meat Lasagna

Submitted by amievv821

"I got this recipe out of "The New Best Recipe Cookbook." Everything I've ever made out of this book has been exceptional. This lasagna is out of this world. Try it I'm sure you'll love it!!!"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 40mins
• Ingredients: 17
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• tomato-based meat sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb meat (ground veal and ground pork or ground beef, ground veal, and ground pork)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄4 cup heavy cream
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

• Ricotta Mozzarella and Pasta layers

• 15 ounces whole milk or 15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
• 2 1⁄2 ounces parmesan cheese, grated
• 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh basil leaf
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1 lb whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded

directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. For the sauce: Pre-heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion. Cook until translucent. Add garlic, cook until fragrant, or about 30 seconds.
3. Increase heat to medium high. Add meat, salt and pepper. Cook until meat is no longer a raw color, but not browned.
4. Add the cream and simmer until the liquid is about halved.
5. Add the pureed and diced tomatoes. Bring to a simmer until flavors are blended. About 20 minutes.

6. For the Layers:

7. Mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the parmesan, the basil, egg, salt, pepper in a medium bowl and mix with a fork until creamy and well combined.
8. Smear the entire bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish with 1/4 cup of the sauce. Place 3 noodles on top of the sauce. Drop 3 T. onto each of the noodles and smear with the back of a spoon.
9. Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese over the ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce over the cheese mixture. Top with 3 more noodles. Continue this process 2 more times.
10. Place the remaining 3 noodles on the sauce, spread with remaining sauce, sprinkle remaining cheese, and parmesan.
11. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes.
12. Remove foil and bake 25 minutes.
13. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.