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The cheesiest meat lasagna
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (150 grams) pancetta, diced
- 4 pieces (500 grams) spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
- 500 grams lean ground beef
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cans (156 milliliters each) tomato paste
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) red wine
- 1 can (796 milliliters) crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) dried oregano
- 2 tubs (475 grams each) full fat ricotta cheese
- 1 cup (250 grams) grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/8 teaspoon (<1 gram) freshly grated nutmeg
- 20 dry lasagna noodles (about 500 grams)
- 1/4 cup (25 grams) finely chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup (25 grams) finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2-1/2 cups (600 grams) grated mozzarella cheese
- 2-1/2 cups (600 grams) grated fontina cheese
Directions
- Cook pancetta until crisp in a large saucepan over medium heat, about five to seven minutes. Remove pancetta to a plate and set aside.
- Add sausage meat and ground beef and cook until browned, about five to seven minutes, breaking meat up as it cooks.
- Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is softened, about five minutes. Stir in cherry tomatoes; cook for three minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, red wine, crushed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, fennel seeds and oregano. Bring to a boil, cover saucepan and reduce to a simmer for anywhere between 30 minutes to one hour.
- In a separate bowl, stir together ricotta, parmesan, egg, egg yolk and nutmeg in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Fill a 23x33 centimeter baking pan with very hot tap water. Add lasagna noodles and soak for 20 minutes. Drain and set noodles aside.
- Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray a deep 23x33 centimeter casserole dish with cooking spray. Spray a large piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray (large enough to cover casserole dish as lasagna bakes).
- Stir basil, parsley and pancetta into sauce.
Assembly:
- Spread one cup (250 milliliters) of sauce onto bottom of prepared casserole dish. Top with five noodles, breaking them up to fit if needed.
- Spread with a third of the ricotta mixture followed by 1/2 cup each of the mozzarella and fontina cheeses. Spread with a quarter of the sauce then repeat the layers.
- Spread last layer of noodles with the final quarter of sauce and one cup of each the mozzarella and fontina. Cover with the aluminum foil, spray-side-down.
- Bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil, and continue to bake for until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting to serve.
