A Recipe for Lasagna That Will Impress
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
Everyone has that dish in their repertoire that when they whip out, they impress everyone. And if you don’t have one yet, feel free to share mine. Mine is a very classic, incredibly delicious — if I do say so myself — lasagna. (In fact, every time I see my dad, he looks for an opportunity to have me make this dish.) Most recently, I brought this over to a friend’s house for a game night, so I decided I’d photograph the process and share my recipe with everyone.
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
Ingredients
(Yields 8 servings)
For the meat sauce
1.5 pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of fresh basil (or 2 teaspoons dried basil)
2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1.5 teaspoons salt
1 can diced tomatoes (29 oz., I like San Marzano tomatoes)
2 cans tomato paste (6 oz.)
A splash of chicken stock (optional if sauce is too dry)
1 bay leaf (optional)
For the ricotta filling
2 eggs, beaten
1 pint skim ricotta cheese
0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
For assembly
12 sheets of oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 9”x13” lasagna pan
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
Directions
1. In a dutch oven brown the ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Drain fat into a glass container and discard after cooled.
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
2. Add basil (fresh or dried), oregano, brown sugar, 1.5 teaspoons salt, canned diced tomatoes, optional bay leaf, and 2 cans tomato paste. Turn down the heat and simmer sauce for half an hour, stirring occasionally. Check on sauce regularly. If it’s looking too dry, add in a splash of chicken stock and continue stirring occasionally.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (or 190 degrees Celsius).
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
4. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat eggs. Then add the ricotta, half cup Parmesan cheese, dried parsley, and salt. Mix well.
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
5. Next, start assembling your lasagna. Layer 4 of the lasagna noodles in the bottom of your baking dish.
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
6. Cover noodles with half the ricotta mixture, half of the mozzarella cheese, and a third of the sauce. Repeat. (Don’t worry if you run out of the ricotta mixture in the second layer, so long as your first layer was ample, you’ll get plenty of cheese.)
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
7. Top with last 4 noodles and the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over the top.
8. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Because of this lasagna, I always keep canned tomatoes in my house. Trust me when I say this lasagna is worth making more than once. Also, pro-tip: The first portion of this recipe also makes a great meat sauce. I just add in some diced celery and diced carrots.
As always, let me know if you end up making this dish. If so, please tag me in your photos! I love seeing what you guys make.
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