My husband made a special dinner request this week which I was thrilled to go along with! He was craving a classic meat lasagna—the ultimate of Italian comfort foods. Layers of al dente lasagna noodles slathered with a creamy mixture of ricotta cheese, grated Pecorino cheese and fresh basil, along with a hearty ground beef and marinara sauce (also known as a traditional Bolognese sauce). The top of the lasagna is covered in fresh mozzarella cheese before being baked until bubbly and the cheese ooey-gooey melted. The sauce can also be made with ground turkey, chicken or even ground veal if you prefer. All you need to accompany this decadent main dish is a simple green salad and a velvety glass of your favorite Italian red wine.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Classic Lasagna Bolognese
Ingredients:
- ½ box (8 oz.) dried lasagna noodles
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ½ cup dry red or white wine
- Salt and pepper
- 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce (or 4 cups homemade sauce)
- 8 oz. ricotta cheese
- 1 cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 4 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 glass or ceramic baking dish with olive oil spray.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add in the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside while you make the bolognese sauce.
- In a Dutch oven or large, straight-sided saute pan heat the oil along with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes over medium heat. Add in the chopped onion, garlic, celery and carrots; season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a grinding of pepper. Saute for 5-7 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Add in the ground beef and cook until the beef is crumbled and browned through. Add in the wine, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook an additional 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half. Add in the marinara sauce; taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
- Spoon one third of the Bolognese sauce into the bottom of your baking dish. Place 3 noodles on top of the sauce. Using one third of the ricotta cheese, drop mounds of it equally on top of the noodles. Top with one third of the grated cheese and one third of the freshly chopped basil. Repeat the layers of sauce, noodles and cheese 2 more times, ending with sauce.
- Top the prepared lasagna with the fresh mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until bubbly and the cheese melted. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Tagged: bolognese sauce, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella cheese, ground beef, Italian, Italy, lasagna, Lasagna Bolognese, marinara sauce, meat lasagna, mozzarella, pasta, ricotta cheese
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