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A white bowl of classic meat lasagna next to a glass of red wine.

Classic Meat Lasagna

Course: Entree
Cuisine: Italian / American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Make the marinara: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 705kcal
Author: Kris Longwell
This is the ultimate in comfort food. You can make the marinara sauce and meat sauce several days in advance. You can also make the entire lasagna a couple of days in advance of baking. Delicious and feed a hungry family or group of friends!
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • 9"x13" straight edge lasagna pan

Ingredients

FOR THE MEAT SAUCE

  • 2 oz prosciutto chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup onion chopped
  • 1 cup carrot peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup celery chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 lb ground beef 85% lean
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon Black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 teaspoon oregano fresh, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon rosemary fresh, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon parsley fresh, chopped
  • ¼ cup basil fresh, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

FOR THE RICOTTA MIXTURE

  • 32 oz ricotta cheese whole milk
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoon parsley fresh, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

FOR ASSEMBLY AND SERVING

  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 4 cups Mozzarella cheese whole milk, grated
  • 1 tablespoon parsley fresh, chopped
  • 1 lb lasagna noodles you'll need 23 to 24 noodles
  • 5 cups marinara sauce

Instructions

MAKE AHEAD

  • Make the marinara sauce ahead of time,

MAKE THE MEAT SAUCE

  • Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the chopped prosciutto. Cook until crispy, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until soft and translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Add the oregano, rosemary, parsley, and basil and cook for 1 minute, stirring to combine.
  • Add the beef, pork, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook until meat is no longer pink. If desired, tilt the skillet to the side and use a large spoon to remove some of the rendered fat. You'll want to leave at least 2 tablespoon of grease in the pan.
  • Add the wine and cook until nearly evaporated, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the bay leaves, beef stock, and tomatoes and simmer for 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Set aside to cool.

COOK THE NOODLES

  • Bring two pots of liberally salted water to a rolling boil. Add the noodles and cook until just barely al dente, usually about 7 to 8 minutes.
  • Immediately remove from the heat and use a pair of tongs to remove the noodles from the water and place them on baking sheets. Place a kitchen towel over the noodles and press down to soak up any excess water.

MAKE THE RICOTTA MIXTURE

  • In a medium bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix together the ricotta, eggs, parsley, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

ASSEMBLY AND SERVING

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • In a lasagna dish, spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce across the bottom of the pan. Place 4 noodles over the sauce, lengthwise and a fifth noodle, cut in half and about an inch cut off the end to place at the end of the 4 noodles.
  • Use a spoon to spread 3 cups of the cooled meat sauce over the noodles. Sprinkle ¼ cup of the grated Parmesan cheese over the meat mixture. Add another layer of noodles.
  • Use another spoon to spread 2 cups of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Add 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella over the ricotta, and then ¼ cup of the Parmesan over that. Top with another layer of noodles.
  • Add the remaining meat sauce, another layer of noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture/1 cup mozzarella/¼ cup Parmesan, and top with one more layer of noodles.
  • Spread 1 cup of the marinara over the top layer of noodles, and then add 2 cups of mozzarella and another ¼ cup of Parmesan.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour, removing the foil after 45 minutes.
  • Let the lasagna rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Garnish with chopped parsley. Use a sharp knife to cut the lasagna into 12 squares.
  • Heat marinara and place a thin layer in each serving plate. Top with a piece of lasagna and serve at once.

Video

Notes

The marinara and meat sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance.
The noodles can be prepared up to 2 hours before assembly.   Be sure to cook the noodles until just al dente.  As they bake, they will soak up any additional liquid and make them perfectly cooked.  This also helps to reduce excess liquid in your finished lasagna.
A straight-edge pasta pan is ideal for this recipe.  If you are using a 9"x13" glass dish with beveled edges, there may not be enough room for 5 layers of noodles.  If this is the case, go with 3 layers of noodles, with one layer of meat sauce and one layer of the ricotta.  
Be sure to let the lasagna rest for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours before slicing and serving.  This also reduces the chance of lasagna with too much liquid when serving. 
Best served over a small layer of homemade marina.  
The baked lasagna will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and can be frozen for up to 2 months.  Unbaked lasagana can be prepared 2 days in advance, or frozen up to one month in advance.  We recommend letting the lasagna thaw before baking. But if you do bake it frozen, keep covered with foil (until the last minutes of baking), and bake for approx. 1 hour and 45 minutes.  

Nutrition

Calories: 705kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 166mg | Sodium: 1099mg | Potassium: 902mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3105IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 500mg | Iron: 4mg