Lasagna Made With Slow Simmered Meat Sauce Recipes

MOM'S EASY HOMEMADE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Make the Meat Sauce: Add olive oil to a dutch oven and add the onions and meat. Cook, stirring to break up the meat, until onion is tender and translucent and meat is browned through. Add garlic and cook a minute more. Break up the whole tomatoes some with clean hands or cut them with a knife. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, oregano and basil to the pot. Simmer over low heat 60 minutes. While it simmers, cook your lasagna noodles. Make 2-3 extras in case some tear. Once they're cooked and drained, lay them out flat on a cutting board or some other clean surface so they don't all stick together.
• Assemble Lasagna: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Reserve 1 ounce each of mozzarella and parmesan for the top of the casserole.Spray a 8x8 or 9x9 pan with cooking spray. Lay 3 lasagna noodles side by side in the bottom of the pan, so it's covered completely. Add 1/3 of the sauce, then 1/3 of the ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan. (Add the ricotta in small spoonfuls since it's hard to spread). Repeat this two more times.
• Bake: Bake the lasagna for 40-45 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted and slightly browned. You may need to add a pan underneath the dish to catch any sauce drips. You can turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes to get the cheese nice and golden at the end, but watch it carefully so it doesn't burn.
• Serve + Store: Let the lasagna set 10-15 minutes before cutting. You can pop a piece of foil over it during this time to keep it nice and hot. Enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge, tightly covered, for 5-6 days.
• Make Ahead + Recipe Yield Adjustment Tips: You can make the meat sauce a day ahead and store it in the fridge until ready to assemble and bake the lasagna. You can double this recipe and make it in a 9x13 pan. You can also make the full batch of meat sauce and freeze half for later, while using the other half now in the 8x8 size that this recipe yields.

LASAGNA MADE WITH SLOW-SIMMERED MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. FOR SAUCE: 1. In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil until hot; add the chopped onions and chopped bell pepper and cook until softened, about 8 minutes or so. 2. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook and stir for about 1 minute more. 3. Crumble the Italian sausage and ground pork over the onion mixture; chop and cook until the meat is no longer pink and is in small pieces. 4. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, dried basil, dried oregano and season with salt and pepper. Stir to thoroughly combine, taste and add more salt and/or pepper, as needed. Add the white wine and stir once more. 5. Bring the sauce to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, covered (lid propped with small opening) for about 5 hours. Check the sauce and stir occasionally. NOTE: The sauce is fairly thick and will shoot up hot "bubbles" after stirring; use care. (I remove it from the heat when stirring.) TO ASSEMBLE LASAGNA: 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook lasagna noodles per package instruction; drain and rinse with cold water and lay aside. 2. Place the cottage cheese in a medium bowl; add the beaten egg and fresh or dried parley and stir to combine. 3. Using a 9 x 13 inch pan, spread a thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom. Lay 4 noodles (mine overlapped slightly) across long side of pan and 1 across the short side of pan at the bottom of other noodles (I cut about a two-inch piece off this noodle). 4. Cover noodles with a layer of meat sauce, spreading gently to cover; next "dollop" 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture, spreading to cover meat sauce. Add a layer of mozzarella (about 1 1/2 cups), then sprinkle liberally with parmesan cheese. 5. Repeat the layer as above 1 more time, then finish with the rest of noodles, meat sauce, mozarella and parmesan. NOTE: I used almost all the meat sauce made, having only about 1 cup left. 6. Cover the pan with foil and cook in preheated oven for about 30 minutes. TIP: Spray the foil with cooking spray and it won't stick to the cheese. 7. Remove the foil and cook an additional 30 minutes, or until the cheese is just beginning to brown. Let cool for about 15 minutes before cutting into servings.

LASAGNA WITH MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Meat Sauce: Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add beef, sausage, onion, carrots, celery, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up meat into bite-size pieces, until vegetables soften and meat has browned, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red-pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add tomato paste; cook 2 minutes more. Puree tomatoes in a blender or food processor; add to pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened slightly but still very loose, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Cheese Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together ricotta, milk, eggs, 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, 2 1/2 cups mozzarella, parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Assembly: Spread 2 cups meat sauce evenly in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, preferably ceramic or enameled cast iron. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles over sauce (space noodles evenly; they will expand as the lasagna cooks). Spread 2 cups cheese mixture over noodles; top with 3 more noodles. Repeat layering of meat and cheese mixtures between noodles twice more. Spread 2 cups meat sauce evenly over top layer of noodles. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Loosely cover with parchment-lined foil and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake until noodles are tender but still al dente (easily pierced with the tip of a knife), 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover; continue baking until bubbly and puffed slightly along edges and golden brown in places on top, 20 to 25 minutes more. (There may appear to be a lot of liquid in the dish. It will be absorbed as the lasagna cools.) Transfer dish to a wire rack and let cool slightly and set, about 20 minutes; cut into squares to serve.