Lasagna is a classic comfort food that many of us have grown up enjoying. There’s nothing quite like the smell of lasagna baking in the oven to make your mouth water. This recipe for Mom’s Lasagna is a family favorite that is sure to please everyone at the dinner table.
➤ You’ll need :
▢3 medium onions chopped
▢2 cloves garlic finely chopped
▢¼ cup olive oil
▢1 lb lean ground beef ~ I use ground sirloin
▢1 28-oz can whole tomatoes crushed by hand (I prefer San Marzano)
▢1 14½-oz can tomato sauce
▢1 6-oz can tomato paste
▢1 teaspoon each of dried basil and oregano, crushed in hand to release flavor
▢About 1 teaspoon of sugar
▢2 cups water
▢salt and pepper
▢1 lb box of oven-ready lasagna noodles no boiling required
▢1 16-oz container of whole milk small curd cottage cheese
▢1 lb of mozzarella shredded
▢Grated parmesan use the good stuff
➤ Step-by-Step Guide to Making it :
Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot. Add onions and a good pinch of salt and sauté until soft and starting to brown. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
Add the ground beef and brown, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until no longer pink.
Add the basil and oregano and mix to combine.
Put the whole tomatoes in a bowl and crush by hand.
Add to the meat and onion mixture along with the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water and a generous pinch of sugar.
Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then immediately turn down heat and simmer with a lid on for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. (My mom’s recipe says to simmer for hours, an hour and a half is plenty.)
Let cool and then refrigerate overnight. The sauce is always better the next day and now all you have to do is assemble the lasagna.
Drain the cottage cheese in a fine mesh sieve over the sink until most of the liquid has drained, stirring gently several times. Takes about an hour or two.
Preheat oven to 350º
In a 11 X 15 lasagna pan, ladle in some sauce to cover the bottom of the pan.
Arrange 6 noodles, overlapping slightly, over the sauce in the bottom of the pan.
Next, spoon half of the drained cottage cheese over the noodles. Sprinkle half the shredded mozzarella over the cottage cheese. Then generously spoon some sauce over the cheese.
Repeat with another 6 noodles, the remaining cottage cheese and follow with the remaining mozzarella. Generously spoon more sauce over this layer.
Top with 6 more noodles. Spoon sauce over entire top of lasagna noodles and also spoon some down the corners and edges. All the noodles should be covered.
Sprinkle with some grated parmesan and then cover pan with foil.
Bake for 45 minutes and then remove the foil and bake, uncovered, for another 15 minutes.
Let lasagna rest 10 minutes or so before serving. Enjoy.
➤ Pro Tips:
- Be sure to cook the lasagna noodles until they are al dente, or slightly firm. Overcooked noodles will become mushy when baked.
- You can make the meat sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- If you don’t have a 9×13 inch baking dish, you can use a slightly smaller or larger dish. Just adjust the baking time accordingly.
- To prevent the lasagna from sticking to the foil, spray the foil with cooking spray before covering the dish.
➤ Storage:
Leftover lasagna can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, cover with foil and bake in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through. You can also freeze leftover lasagna for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then bake in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through.
➤ Nutrition Information:
This recipe makes 12 servings. Each serving contains approximately:
438 calories
25g fat
22g carbohydrates
30g protein
1169mg sodium
Lasagna is a classic dish that is perfect for feeding a crowd. With its layers of noodles, cheese, and meat sauce, it’s a hearty and satisfying meal that everyone will love. Give this recipe for Mom’s
HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPES?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
