Description
This Million Dollar Italian Lasagna features a golden-brown charred parmesan crust, tender wavy noodles, a thick chunky red tomato meat sauce, and a creamy ricotta center. Perfectly layered for an unforgettable, restaurant-quality Italian dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 oz (450g) dried wavy lasagna noodles
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef (80/20)
- 1 tbsp (15ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium (150g) yellow onion
- 4 cloves (12g) garlic
- 28 oz (800g) crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp (30g) tomato paste
- 2 cups (480g) whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 large (50g) egg
- 3 cups (300g) low-moisture shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup (100g) grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp (8g) fresh green parsley
- 1 tsp (2g) red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Sauté: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Brown: Add the ground beef and cook until deep brown, crispy crumbles form.
- Aromatics: Add diced onion and garlic, sautéing until translucent.
- Paste: Stir in tomato paste for 2 minutes, then pour in crushed tomatoes.
- Simmer: Simmer for 20 minutes until thick and chunky.
- Filling: In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, egg, half of the parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper until thick and creamy.
- Pasta: Boil wavy lasagna noodles in salted water for 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and pat dry.
- Base: Spread a thin layer of meat sauce in a white rectangular ceramic baking dish.
- Noodles: Add a layer of overlapping wavy noodles.
- Layer: Spread half the creamy ricotta mixture over the noodles, top with meat sauce, and a handful of mozzarella.
- Repeat: Repeat.
- Top: Finish with a final layer of noodles, remaining meat sauce, and a thick layer of the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
- Bake: Cover tightly with greased foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 35 minutes.
- Uncover: Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes.
- Broil: Broil for 2-3 minutes until a thick, golden-brown crust with charred, crispy edges forms.
- Rest: Remove from oven and rest for 20 minutes.
- Garnish: Garnish the melted cheese surface with finely chopped fresh green parsley and tiny scattered red pepper flakes before slicing.
Notes
Always pat your boiled noodles dry to prevent a watery lasagna. Resting for 20 minutes ensures the cheese and sauce set up, giving you a perfect visual cross-section when sliced.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 1100 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
Keywords: lasagna, baked pasta, Italian dinner, ricotta, mozzarella, ground beef