Lasagna is popular around the world. There are varying opinions of its origin. Many think its infancy is in Greece stemming from the Greek word “laganon” which refers to dough cut in strips. Proud Italians believe it has its roots in Naples, Italy. Others claim the oldest written recipe was found in a British cookbook.
Even the spelling varies. In North American, the singular “lasagna” is used. Outside of North America, the plural “lasagne” is used. Although its claim to food fame is hotly contested and spelled in different ways, most of us are happy when served a slice. The piping hot layers of yumminess are delicious.
There are many versions of lasagna, too. The American trend includes layers of pasta, ragu (meat and marinara sauce), and cheese. Other versions include layers of vegetables and ricotta while others skip the red sauce and include a white sauce. It’s thought originally lasagna was baked with a béchamel sauce and didn’t include cheese (it’s still made like this in regions of Italy).
We’re sharing a simple lasagna recipe that follows the American trend. We’ve combined Italian sausage and ground beef to create a hearty meat sauce. With layers of ricotta and mozzarella cheese, it’s a creamy lasagna rich with Italian flavor. This is guaranteed to become a family favorite.
Ingredients
- 2 jars marinara sauce, 24 oz each
- 1 box lasagna noodles
- 1 lb lean ground beef, 90/10
- 2 links mild Italian sausage
- 16 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 egg
- 4 c mozzarella cheese
- 1 c Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- Chopped parsley, optional
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil the lasagna noodles according to package directions.
2. After straining the cooked noodles, rinse with cool water. This makes the noodles stop cooking and prevents them from being sticky.
3. Squeeze Italian sausage out of its casing. Break it apart in the pan.
4. Add ground beef to the pan. Cook sausage and ground beef until they’re completely cooked. Drain any grease.
5. Pour 1 1/2 jars of your favorite marinara sauce into the pan. Set aside the remaining half jar.
6. Bring the meat sauce up to a simmer. Let it simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens and the flavors come together (about 10 minutes).
7. Take the pan off the stove and let the meat sauce cool for a few minutes.
8. In a small bowl mix together the ricotta cheese, egg, and garlic powder.
9. In a 9 x 13 pan, pour the last half of the marinara jar into the bottom of the pan and spread it out.
10. Lay the first layer of noodles across the bottom.
11. Spread half the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles.
12. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese over the ricotta cheese.
13. Spread half the meat sauce over the mozzarella. Starting with the noodles, repeat the layers.
14. Top the lasagna with a layer of noodles and 1 cup of mozzarella.
15. Sprinkle 1 cup of Parmesan over the top.
16. Bake the lasagna for 45 to 50 minutes. The cheese will be melted and the edges will be bubbly.
17. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Optional, sprinkle chopped parsley over the top before serving. Click here to save this Simple Lasagna recipe to your Recipe Box.
