Lasagna

This lasagna is layered with lasagna noodles, meaty tomato sauce, fluffy ricotta mixture, creamy bechamel sauce, topped with lots of mozzarella and parmesan!

📝 Ingredients

• salt
• black pepper
• 1 pound ground beef, (80/20)
• 1 pound Italian sausage, (casing removed)
• 1 1/2 cups onion, (chopped )
• 1 heaping tablespoon garlic, (minced)
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 16 ounces lasagna noodles (cooked to al dente)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk, (at room temperature)
• 2-4 drops Tabasco sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon dried ground nutmeg
• 24 ounces whole milk ricotta
• 2 large eggs, (lightly beaten)
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, (grated)
• 16 ounces Mozzarella, (shredded)
• 1 1/2 Cups fresh basil leaves, (julienned)
• 1 cup mozzarella, (shredded)
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, (grated)
• 2 tablespoons butter (cut into 1/4 inch pieces)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Make The Red Sauce: ---
2. 2In a large pot, over medium-high heat, brown and crumble the ground beef (1 pound) and Italian sausage (1 pound). While meats are browning, season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and Italian seasoning (1 tablespoon). Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave drippings in the pot.
3. 3Add onion (1 1/2 cups) to the pot then cook until onion is translucent. Add garlic (1 heaping tablespoon) and continue to cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in wine (1 cup), digging down to the bottom of the pan to lift up any brown bits. Bring to a boil, and continue to cook until reduced by half.
4. 4Stir in crushed tomatoes (1 can), tomato paste (2 cans), tomato sauce (1 can), and sugar (2 tablespoons). Return browned meats to pot. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
5. 5--- Pasta: ---
6. 6In a large pot, cook lasagna noodles (16 ounces) according to box instructions, in water with 2 tablespoons of salt, until al dente. Drain pasta well. Separate lasagna noodles and dry.
7. 7--- Make Bechamel: ---
8. 8In a 2-quart pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour (1/2 cup) and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk (4 cups), whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
9. 9Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth, and creamy about 10 minutes. Add hot sauce (2-4 drops) and blend. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon), salt, and black pepper to taste.
10. 10--- Cheese Mixture: ---
11. 11In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix all ingredients.
12. 12--- Assemble: ---
13. 13Arrange an oven shelf to the center position. Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Spray a double-width sheet of foil, long enough to cover the finished lasagna with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. (The foil needs to be double-width to cover the width of the baking dish).
14. 14Into the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup of the meat sauce. Arrange a single layer of lasagna noodles side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread 1/2 of all the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the bechamel sauce, and 1/2 of the remaining meat sauce.
15. 15Arrange another layer of pasta sheets. Evenly spread the second half of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the bechamel, and the remaining 1/2 of the remaining meat sauce.
16. 16Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. Cut the butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top of the lasagna. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the lasagna dish on top, cover with foil sprayed with non-stick spray, and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until the top is bubbling, about 40-50 minutes or until hot through the center. Remove the cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes.If the top isn't brown enough, put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes, but don't leave it unattended as it might burn. Watch it closely!Once baked allow lasagna to rest on a wire baker's rack for 15 minutes before slicing and serving!!