Best Fresh Herb Lasagna Recipes

WORLD'S BEST LASAGNA

World's Best Lasagna image

It takes a little work, but it is worth it.

Provided by John Chandler

Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian

Time 3h15m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
¾ pound lean ground beef
½ cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
½ cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided, or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
¾ pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 448.2 calories, Carbohydrate 36.5 g, Cholesterol 81.8 mg, Fat 21.3 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 29.7 g, SaturatedFat 9.9 g, Sodium 1400.4 mg, Sugar 8.6 g

OUR FAVORITE LASAGNA WITH SAUSAGE, SPINACH, AND THREE CHEESES

Our Favorite Lasagna with Sausage, Spinach, and Three Cheeses image

This perennial favorite has just the right mix of hearty sausage, vibrant spinach, and a perfectly balanced three-cheese blend. With a quick-cooking sauce and no-fuss, no-boil noodles, the assembly is easy, and one pan feeds a large crowd.

Provided by Rhoda Boone

Categories Bake Kid-Friendly Spinach Noodle Dinner Pasta Sausage Casserole/Gratin Cheese Week Frankenrecipe Small Plates

Yield Makes 8 to 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 26

Ingredients

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Two 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried oregano
For the filling:
Two 15-ounce containers part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups packed basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces)
2 large egg yolks
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the assembly:
2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed, or 1 1/2 pounds fresh spinach, steamed
Pinch kosher salt
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
9 no-boil lasagna noodles (such as Barilla)
1 pound fresh mozzarella, grated (about 4 cups)
Special equipment:
9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish, preferably glass

Steps:

Preparation:
Position the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
Make the sauce:
In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the sausage, onion and 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, breaking up sausage with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, red-pepper flakes, and tomato paste; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add tomatoes (along with their juice) and oregano; bring to a simmer, and cook, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon until in small pieces, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more red-pepper flakes if desired.
Make the filling:
In the bowl of a food processor, combine all of the filling ingredients and process until mostly smooth.
Assemble the lasagna:
Squeeze the spinach in a paper towel or clean dishcloth until very dry. Transfer to a bowl and season with a pinch of salt.
Coat baking dish with cooking spray and spread the bottom with 2 cups sauce. Top with a layer of three noodles, then a third of the ricotta mixture (about 1 1/3 cups), and a third of the spinach (about 2/3 cup). Sprinkle with 1 cup grated mozzarella.
Repeat twice more, skipping the mozzarella on the third layer. Top the lasagna with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups mozzarella in clusters so some of the sauce peeks through.
Place the baking pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Lightly spray a piece of foil with cooking spray, cover the lasagna, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until lightly browned and bubbly, about 20 minutes more. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
DO AHEAD: The sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. The filling can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated.