International dishesSavory CakesItalyabout 1 hour 30 minutes
The whole point of this lasagna is the stacking: pasta, meat sauce, cheese, over and over. The hard part comes at the end, cutting a square that holds its layers instead of sliding apart on the plate.
The meat sauce simmers gently for 10 to 15 minutes until it thickens, and the spoon has to scrape the bottom of the pot so nothing catches. The ricotta gets one beaten egg stirred through it, which is what makes that cheese layer creamy rather than crumbly.
This batch weighs about 3.3kg, at roughly 127 calories per 100g. The pan rests before it is cut, and leftovers reheat well.
Method
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and cook the lasagna sheets for the time on the box, usually 10 to 12 minutes, stirring gently now and then so they do not stick together. Lift them out and let them cool a little.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, add the diced onion and minced garlic and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the ground beef and stir over medium heat until it turns golden brown, then season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Transfer the beef to a large pot, add 800g tomato sauce, 400g crushed tomatoes and 170g tomato paste, stir to combine, then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce thickens, scraping the bottom of the pot so it does not catch.
Beat 1 egg and stir it into 450g ricotta cheese until smooth and creamy.
Line a baking dish with foil. Spread a layer of the beef and tomato sauce across the bottom, lay about 3 lasagna sheets over it, spread a third of the ricotta, then more beef sauce and a generous handful of mozzarella. Repeat until everything is used up, finishing with parmesan on top.
Heat the oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees C. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 190 degrees C, removing the foil for the last 5 minutes so the cheese browns.
Take the dish out and let it rest for about 10 minutes so the layers set before cutting.
Tips
Lasagna sheets marked oven ready go straight into the dish with no boiling.
Cottage cheese, or cream cheese loosened with a little milk, stands in for ricotta.
A rest of 10 minutes after baking is what holds the layers together under the knife.
Pulling the foil off for the last 5 minutes gives the top a golden finish.
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