Lasagna

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
• 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ cup red wine
• 2 Tablespoons white sugar
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the cheesy layers

• 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for topping
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups whole milk mozzarella, shredded
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Noodles

• 1 batch Handcrafted Pasta Dough, rolled into thin sheets (~5-6 on the Kitchenaid roller) then cut into sections to fit your baking dish.

Directions

1. Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat until the meat is well browned, around 7-8 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, wine, sugar, fennel seeds, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a low simmer then reduce heat to low and cook for at least 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is reduced by about half. Let the sauce cool for around 30 minutes before using. The sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.

2. While the sauce cooks, add the ricotta, egg, parsley, and nutmeg to a medium bowl and stir until well combined. Refrigerate the mixture until ready to assemble the lasagna.

3. Using a pasta machine, roll out the prepared pasta dough into thin sheets then cut into 8 to 10 inch sections or cut to fit your baking dish.

4. Working in batches, cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling water for around 30 seconds to 1 minute until softened then drain.

5. Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly coat a 9x13 lasagna dish with cooking spray or olive oil.

6. To assemble, spread 1 cup of the meat sauce in the bottom of the baking dish then add a layer of noodles. Spread on a third of the ricotta mixture, then top with ½ cup of mozzarella and ¼ cup of Parmesan cheeses.

7. Repeat process 2 more times; sauce, noodles, ricotta, and cheese. For the top layer add the remaining sauce and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

8. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake and additional 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Dough and sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in the fridge

The lasagna can be fully prepared up to 2 days ahead, then covered and refrigerated. Remove from fridge at least 30 minutes before baking

Can be prepared, allowed to cool, and then frozen (after covering with plastic wrap and aluminum foil), for up to 3 months. Prefer an 8x8 pan if freezing, as it doesn’t take as long to cook from frozen as a larger pan.

To reheat frozen lasagna, it will take around 1 hour and 15 minutes for an 8 by 8 pan. Remove the plastic wrap and foil then cover with a new sheet of foil. Bake in a 375°F oven for an hour, or until warmed through. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese topping is melted and bubbly. Remove and let the lasagna rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

If you prefer to thaw the lasagna, allow it to defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes prior to baking. Then bake as above but shorten the time to 45 minutes to 1 hour.