Jean's Irresistible Meat Lasagna
Ingredients
- 8 oz (½ lb) lasagna noodles
Sauce
- 1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes
- 2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- ⅛ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
Meat Mixture
- 1 lb lean ground beef (93% lean preferred)
- ½ lb sausage links (Jean uses ½ sweet Italian sausage & ½ spicy Italian sausage), casings removed
- 2 tbsp chopped onions
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 egg, lightly-beaten
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
Cheeses
- ¼ lb ricotta cheese
- ½ lb mozzarella
- ½ lb provolone
- ½ cup Parmesan, grated
Special Equipment
- food processor
- 13" x 9" x 2" baking dish
- baking sheet
How-to
Cook Noodles
- Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions, set aside (a splash of olive oil will prevent noodles from sticking together)
Make Sauce
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a large pot and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, while preparing the meat mixture
Prepare Meat Mixture
- Combine and mix all meat ingredients and then brown 5-10 minutes over medium to high heat. After it's all browned, let cool slightly, pour off any excess liquid fat
- Transfer mixture to food processor and pulse briefly. Transfer back into sauce pan, and stir to combine
Assemble Layers & Bake
- Preheat oven to 350º
- Combine mozzarella, provolone and Parmesan cheeses in a bowl and set aside
- Grease (with nonstick cooking spray) a 13" x 9" x 2" baking dish. Place one layer of drained cooked noodles on bottom of pan, spoon sauce/meat mixture on top of the noodles, then spoon small dabs of ricotta cheese on the sauce and sprinkle with some of the cheese mixture
- Repeat layers until you have 4 of each. Place pan on sheet tray to catch any potential spillover. Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes
- When done, remove from oven and let it set for 5-10 minutes before serving