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Best Homemade Lasagna Recipe step by step

Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food with its rich meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and lots of melty mozzarella. When I think of lasagna, I think of its big flavor, clean layers, and slices that hold together. This recipe is perfect for beginners as it walks you through the details of how to make lasagna at home. 
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Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

RICOTTA MIXTURE

  • 1 lbs fresh ricotta
  • ¾ cup grated parmesan
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp nutmeg

MEAT SAUCE

  • 1 lbs ground beef ( 80/20 )
  • 8 oz Italian sausages ( removed from casings )
  • Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 large onion
  • 5 cloves of garlic ( minced )
  • Chilli flakes
  • 2 cans crushed tomatoes ( I used Bianco de Napoli)
  • 2 tsp sugar
** A pack of no-boil lasagna noodles ( 365 Whole Foods Market Brand)

Method
 

  1. Cut open the casing on the sausage onto the sheet tray and then mix it with the ground beef
  2. Spread the beef/sausage mix into a flat sheet on baking tray.
  3. Put the baking tray under the broiler to cook and brown for 15 minutes 
  4. Once timer is up,  remove the browned beef from oven and allow it to cool down
  5. After 5 minutes, it should be cool enough to touch, break it up by crumbling
To make the Tomato base for this sauce
  1. On a heavy bottom skillet, add in olive oil over medium heat and butter
  2. Add in your diced onions and then a pinch of salt and stir
  3. Cook until the onions soften and turn translucent about 5 - 6 minutes
  4. Add in minced garlic and a pinch of chili flakes and stir. Cook until fragrant
  5. Add in two cans of crushed tomatoes, a pinch of salt and stir
  6. To the tomato sauce, add in crumbled meat. Stir
  7. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes on low heat to thickened the sauce.
 To make the ricotta mixture
  1. In a bowl, combine ricotta, grated Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, salt, cracked black pepper, one large egg and grated nutmeg.
  2. Stir to combine all ingredients and set it aside.
Back to the meat sauce
  1. After 30-minutes, the sauce should have reduced by more than half
  2. Finish with a little bit of sugar to  balance the acidity
Now to assemble the lasagna
  1. Grab a 9×13 dish. Spread a half cup of the sauce onto the dish and spread it out evenly
  2. Next, layer four pieces of no boil lasagna noodles 
  3. On top of the noodles, add 9 tablespoon dollops of the ricotta mixture and then spread it evenly from edge to edge.
  4. Next, drop a cup’s worth of grated mozzarella cheese over the ricotta mixture
  5. On top of that mozzarella goes about three quarters of a cup of meat sauce, spread evenly from edge to edge
  6. Four more noodles go on top of the meat sauce
  7. Repeat the process until the meat sauce, ricotta mixture, mozzarella cheese, and noodles are finished.
  8. Finally, add six to nine slices of fresh mozzarella cheese to the top and you’re done with the assembly.
  9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes in 375 F oven
  10. Once timer is up, remove the foil and allow to continue baking uncovered for another 25 more minutes
  11. Broil at the top for 2 – 3 minutes for that perfectly gooey melty lasagna
  12. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes
  13. Serve and enjoy!