Ingredients:
For the meat sauce:
• 1 lb (450g) ground beef (or half beef, half Italian sausage)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2–3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (28 oz / 800g) crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil for cooking
For the ricotta layer:
• 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
Other layers:
• 9 lasagna noodles (cooked according to package instructions or use oven-ready)
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)
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Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Make the meat sauce:
• In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
• Add diced onion and garlic; sauté until fragrant.
• Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain excess fat.
• Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper.
• Simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes until thickened.
3. Prepare ricotta mixture:
• In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese with the egg, Parmesan, salt, and pepper until combined.
4. Assemble the lasagna:
• In a 9×13 inch baking dish, spread a layer of meat sauce.
• Place 3 lasagna noodles on top.
• Spread ⅓ of the ricotta mixture over noodles.
• Sprinkle with some mozzarella cheese.
• Repeat layers (sauce, noodles, ricotta, mozzarella) until all ingredients are used.
• Finish with a generous layer of mozzarella on top.
5. Bake:
• Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake another 15–20 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.
• Let rest for 10–15 minutes before slicing.
6. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.
