INGREDIENTS
Lasagna filling
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
4 cups ricotta cheese (regular or part-skim)
8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese (regular or part-skim), divided
1 egg
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
12 uncooked lasagne noodles
¼ cup grated Parmesan or Romano
Directions
*Cooks note: this amount of filling makes enough for 3 recipes. If you are only making this recipe, the extra sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For the lasagne filling:
Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté 3 minutes, until soft. Add, beef and cook 5 to 7 minutes, until browned all over, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Stir in basil, oregano and red pepper flakes.
Add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
For the lasagne
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine ricotta, half of the mozzarella, egg, and black pepper. Mix well.
Pour 1 cup of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch lasagne pan.
Arrange 4 UNCOOKED lasagne noodles on top of sauce, overlapping noodles slightly to cover the bottom.
Spoon half of the cheese mixture over noodles.
Top with 1½ cups of meat sauce and 4 more noodles.
Top second layer of noodles with remaining cheese mixture, 1½ cups of meat sauce and 4 more noodles.
Top noodles with 1½ cups of meat sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese. Top with Parmesan cheese.
Refrigerate or freeze the remaining sauce.
- Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes, until top is golden and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. — www.foodnetwork.com <http://www.foodnetwork.com>