Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Lean Ground Beef (90/10)
  • 0.5 lb Mild or Spicy Italian Sausage, casing removed
  • 48 oz Marinara Sauce
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp Dried Oregano
  • 0.5 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 15 oz Whole-milk Ricotta Cheese
  • 1 large Egg, lightly beaten
  • 0.5 cup Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 0.25 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
  • 0.5 tsp Sea salt
  • 0.5 tsp Black pepper
  • 12 Lasagna Noodles, oven-ready or par-boiled
  • 1 lb Shredded Low-Moisture Mozzarella
  • 0.5 cup Extra Parmesan cheese for topping

Instructions:

  1. In a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and Italian sausage. Break the meat into small crumbles and cook until no longer pink. Drain the excess rendered fat.
  2. Add the minced garlic, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes to the meat. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the marinara sauce and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, beaten egg, 0.5 cup grated Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix until uniform and creamy.
  4. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread 1.5 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch deep-dish baking pan.
  5. Layer 3-4 lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread a third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, then sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
  6. Repeat the layers (noodles, ricotta, sauce, mozzarella) until all ingredients are used, finishing with a final layer of noodles topped with the remaining sauce, mozzarella, and the extra 0.5 cup of Parmesan.
  7. Cover the pan with aluminum foil (tented to avoid sticking to cheese). Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
  8. Allow the lasagna to rest for 15 minutes before slicing to ensure the structural integrity of the layers.