Welcome to lovewithrecipes.com! 🎉 Today, I’m excited to share with you an all-time favorite, mouth-watering recipe for Lasagna II. This classic Italian dish is sure to be a hit at any gathering. Let’s dive right into the detailed and elaborate instructions to create this savory delight. 🍝✨
Lasagna II Recipe
Description
Make and share this Lasagna II recipe from lovewithrecipes.com. This hearty one-dish meal is perfect for any occasion, boasting rich layers of flavorful meat sauce, creamy cheese mixtures, and tender lasagne noodles.
Categories
- One Dish Meal
Keywords
- Oven
- < 4 Hours
Nutrition Information
- Calories: 1000.4
- Fat Content: 69.5g
- Saturated Fat Content: 34.1g
- Cholesterol Content: 259.9mg
- Sodium Content: 2957mg
- Carbohydrate Content: 41.8g
- Fiber Content: 3.4g
- Sugar Content: 6.4g
- Protein Content: 51.4g
Preparation and Cooking Time
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|
| 45 minutes | 30 minutes | 1 hour 15 minutes |
Ingredients and Quantities
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Olive oil – 1 tbsp + 1/4 cup
- Boiling water – 3 quarts
- Ricotta cheese – 8 cups
- Cottage cheese – 1 cup
- Eggs – 2
- Salt (for cheese mixture) – 2 tsp
- Pepper – 1/2 tsp
- Parsley flakes – 2 tbsp
- Parmesan cheese – 1/2 cup
- Mozzarella cheese – 1 lb
- Olive oil (for meat sauce) – 1/4 cup
- Butter – 1 tbsp
- Onion – 1, chopped
- Ground beef – 1 lb
- Minced garlic cloves – 4
- Parsley – 3 tbsp
- Canned tomatoes – 2 cups
- Tomato puree – 2 cups
- Tomato paste – 1/2 cup
- Celery ribs – 2, finely chopped
- Carrot – 1, finely chopped
- Salt (for meat sauce) – 1 tbsp
- Pepper (for meat sauce) – 1 tsp
- Oregano – 2 tsp
Instructions
Let’s break down the process into easy-to-follow steps. Follow these steps to create your own scrumptious Lasagna II. 😋
Preparing the Lasagne Noodles
- Boil the Water: Begin by bringing 3 quarts of water to a rapid boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the water. The salt adds flavor, and the olive oil helps prevent the noodles from sticking together.
- Cook the Noodles: Gradually add the lasagne noodles to the boiling water, ensuring that the water continues to boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender. This should take about 8-10 minutes. Once cooked, drain the noodles and set them aside.
Preparing the Cheese Mixture
- Mix the Cheeses: In a large mixing bowl, combine 8 cups of ricotta cheese and 1 cup of cottage cheese. The combination of these two cheeses adds a delightful creaminess to the lasagna.
- Add the Eggs and Seasonings: Add 2 beaten eggs, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 2 tablespoons of parsley flakes, and 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the cheese mixture. Mix well until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. This mixture will be used to layer between the noodles and meat sauce.
Preparing the Meat Sauce
- Heat the Oil and Butter: In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. The butter adds a rich flavor, while the olive oil helps to sauté the ingredients evenly.
- Saute the Onion and Beef: Add 1 chopped onion to the skillet and sauté until it becomes translucent. Then, add 1 pound of ground beef and cook until browned, stirring occasionally to break up the meat.
- Add Garlic and Parsley: Once the beef is browned, add 4 minced garlic cloves and 3 tablespoons of chopped parsley. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.
- Incorporate the Tomatoes: Stir in 2 cups of canned tomatoes, 2 cups of tomato puree, and 1/2 cup of tomato paste. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add Vegetables and Seasonings: Once boiling, add 2 finely chopped celery ribs, 1 finely chopped carrot, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and 2 teaspoons of oregano. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have penetrated the sauce.
Assembling the Lasagna
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 13x9x2 inch baking dish to prevent the lasagna from sticking.
- Layer the Ingredients: Start by spreading 1/3 of the meat sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Cover with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese slices. Add half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the mozzarella. Then, place half of the cooked lasagne noodles over the ricotta mixture.
- Repeat the Layers: Repeat the layers by adding another 1/3 of the meat sauce, another 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese, and the remaining ricotta cheese mixture. Top with the remaining lasagne noodles.
- Final Layer: Finish by covering the top with the remaining meat sauce and the rest of the mozzarella cheese.
- Bake the Lasagna: Cover the baking dish
