Lasagna With Two Sauces

Photo Credit
Becky Luigart-Stayner
The Editors
Yield
Makes 10 to 15 servings.
Category
Course
Preparation Method
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A classic crowd-pleaser just got twice as nice!

Meat Sauce:

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage meat removed from casings
2 jars (24 ounces each) tomato sauce
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes with their juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the onion, and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft, stirring often. Add the garlic, beef, and sausage. Cook the meat until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Spoon off as much fat as possible. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, sampling occasionally and adding salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Filling:

Ingredients
1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
1 box (10 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess moisture
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for layering
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions

Put the ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, basil, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper, to taste, into a mixing bowl. Mix to combine.

White Sauce:

Ingredients
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 box “oven-ready” or “no-cook” lasagna noodles
Instructions

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the flour, and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Add the milk in three portions, as the sauce thickens. Remove the pan from the heat. Add 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper, to taste, and whisk to blend.

To Assemble:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Oil a large (at least 13x9-inch), deep casserole. Spread a generous layer of the meat sauce in it. Cover with a single layer of noodles, followed by more meat sauce. Dot with one-third of the ricotta mixture in dollops. Spread one-third of the white sauce around the dollops. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Smooth with the back of a spoon, then repeat each layer twice: noodles, meat sauce, ricotta, white sauce, and Parmesan cheese. (You may not use all of the meat sauce.) Cover the casserole with tented aluminum foil (it should not touch the sauce) and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until golden brown and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

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The Old Farmer's Almanac Editors

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