Grandma's lasagna recipe

grandmas-lasagna.md

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+# Grandma's Lasagna
+
+A classic, hearty lasagna with a slow-simmered meat sauce and a creamy ricotta
+layer. This recipe is written to be reliable, forgiving, and ideal for
+weekend cooking or feeding a crowd.
+
+## Yield and time
+
+- Yield: 8 to 10 servings
+- Total time: about 2 hours (30 minutes active, 90 minutes bake and rest)
+
+## Ingredients
+
+### Meat sauce
+
+- 2 tablespoons olive oil
+- 1 large yellow onion, diced
+- 4 cloves garlic, minced
+- 1 pound ground beef (85/15)
+- 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
+- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
+- 1 cup dry red wine (or beef broth)
+- 2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes
+- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
+- 1 teaspoon dried basil
+- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
+- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
+- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
+- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
+
+### Cheese filling
+
+- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
+- 1 large egg
+- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
+- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried)
+- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
+- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
+
+### Pasta and assembly
+
+- 12 lasagna noodles (regular or no-boil)
+- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
+- 2 tablespoons olive oil (for noodles, if boiling)
+
+## Instructions
+
+1. Make the sauce. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion
+   and cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
+   Add beef and sausage, breaking up the meat, and cook until browned.
+2. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and simmer until
+   reduced by half. Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes,
+   salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
+   Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in parsley if using.
+3. Make the cheese filling. In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, egg, Parmesan,
+   parsley, salt, and pepper until smooth.
+4. Prepare noodles. If using regular noodles, boil in salted water until
+   barely al dente. Drain and toss with olive oil so they do not stick.
+   If using no-boil noodles, skip this step.
+5. Assemble. Heat oven to 375 F. Spread 1 cup of sauce in a 9x13-inch baking
+   dish. Add a layer of noodles, one third of the ricotta mixture, one third
+   of the mozzarella, and about 1 1/2 cups sauce. Repeat twice more. Finish
+   with a final layer of noodles, the remaining sauce, and the remaining
+   mozzarella.
+6. Bake. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until
+   bubbly and browned, 20 to 25 minutes more.
+7. Rest and serve. Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
+
+## Notes
+
+- Make ahead: Assemble up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate. Add 10 to
+  15 minutes to the covered bake time if baking from cold.
+- Freezer friendly: Freeze baked or unbaked lasagna, wrapped tightly, for up
+  to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
+- Veggie option: Swap meat for 1 1/2 pounds of sauteed mushrooms and zucchini.