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Basic Lasagna with ground beef

Basic Lasagna Recipe with Ground Beef

Basic Lasagna Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword lasagna
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 10
Author Stephanie Jackson

Ingredients

  • 1 lbs. ground beef
  • 1 25.5 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce.
  • 12 lasagna noodles
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 15 oz. container of whole milk ricotta cheese.
  • 1 16 oz. package of shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. In a medium pot add ground beef, salt and pepper to taste. Cook on medium heat until browned.
  2. Drain beef of excess fat and return to pot.
  3. Add the pasta sauce to the beef and stir. Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water. Add a pinch of salt and olive oil and bring to a boil.
  5. Meanwhile in a mixing bowl add ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, and egg and beat until well combined and smooth. Set aside.
  6. Once noodles are done remove from heat. Do not drain. I have found the noodles don't break or stick if I leave them in the water.
  7. Ladle in about 1/2 cup of tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan and spread out into a very thin layer covering the bottom of the pan. This small amount of sauce will prevent the bottom layer of noodles from sticking to the bottom.
  8. Remove noodles from the water with a wooden spoon or thick utensil. If you use a fork the noodle will tear.
  9. Layer 3 lasagna noodles side by side in the baking dish. This will start your first layer.
  10. Ladle in half of your tomato sauce and spread evenly over the noodles.
  11. Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top.
  12. Spoon in the ricotta cheese mixture and spread evenly.
  13. Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top.
  14. Use half of remaining mozzarella and spread evenly over the noodles.
  15. Layer 3 lasagna noodles.
  16. Spread remaining tomato sauce evenly across the top.
  17. Cover with foil and bake at 350F. for 30 minutes.
  18. Remove from oven. Remove foil. Add remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
  19. Return to oven and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and lasagna is heated through.
  20. Set oven to Broil and broil for 2 minutes to get those gorgeous burnt cheese bubbles.
  21. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

You may want to cook extra lasagna noodles just in case some rip apart while removing them from the pot of water.
If your ricotta cheese container is 16 oz. go ahead and use the whole container. One extra ounce is a bonus!