MEATY, CHEESY LASAGNA (Pioneer Woman)

Ainekset

1 pound ground beef

1½/2 pounds Italian sausage

6 garlic cloves, minced

Two 6-ounce cans tomato paste

½ cup red wine (or beef stock or chicken stock)

Kosher salt

Ground black pepper

One 28-ounce can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes

4 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

4 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

2½ cups ricotta, homemade or store-bought

2 large eggs

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heavy cream or milk, as needed

One 10-ounce package lasagna noodles, cooked until just under al dente, drained, and laid flat to keep their shape until assembly

1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 12 slices

Ohjeet

1. Place the ground beef and Italian sausage in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat ...

2. And cook until the meat is totally browned, crumbling it as you go. Drain off half the excess grease.

3. Add the garlic and the tomato paste, stirring it into the meat. Cook for 3 minutes to fry the tomato paste and deepen the flavor.

4. Pour in the wine ..

5. And stir together. Let it cook for 2 more minutes ...

6. Then add 2 teaspoons each of salt and pepper ...

7. The tomatoes ...

8. And 2 tablespoons each of the parsley and basil.

9. Stir to combine, breaking up the tomatoes into chunks. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce cook uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and preheat the oven to 375°F.

10. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta and eggs.

11. Add ½ cup of the Parmesan, the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and basil, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.

12. Stir to combine. The mixture should be spreadable; if it seems a tad dry, splash in a tablespoon or two of heavy cream or milk.

13. To assemble the lasagna, layer four noodles in a deep 9 × 13-inch pan, overlapping as you go. Add just under half the meat mixture ...

14. And spread it into an even layer.

15. Add a layer of all the mozzarella slices...

16. Another layer of four noodles ...

17. And all the ricotta mixture, spreading it to the edges of the pan with the back of a spoon.

18. Add the final layer of four noodles...

19. And the rest of the sauce, spreading it into an even layer.

20. Sprinkle the top with the remaining ½ cup Parmesan ..

21. Then cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes...

22. Until very hot and bubbling.

23. Let it sit for 15 minutes to settle down before sprinkling it with parsley and cutting it into squares.

24. Serve it to very hungry humans!

Muistiinpanot

Storage tips • To refrigerate: Assemble the lasagna, cover it with foil, and refrigerate it, unbaked, for up to 2 days. Remove it from the fridge 1 hour before baking it.

• To freeze: Assemble the lasagna in a disposable foil lasagna pan. Cover it with plastic wrap, then wrap it tightly in foil. You can freeze it for up to 6 months. To bake, simply thaw the lasagna in the fridge (this can take as long as 2 days), then remove the plastic wrap before baking. Or you can bake from a frozen state: Remove the plastic wrap, add the foil back on, and bake for 1 hour at 325°F, then remove the foil and bake for 35 minutes at 375°F.