The Cheesiest Meat Lasagna Image

The Cheesiest Meat Lasagna

Mary's Kitchen Crush - "More is More"

45
Prep Time
(minutes)
150
Cook Time
(minutes)
10
Servings
Mary's Kitchen Crush/The Cheesiest Meat Lasagna

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup (150g) pancetta, diced
  • 4 pieces (1 ¼ lb./500g) spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1 ¼ lbs. (500g) 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 (5 oz/156mL each) tomato paste
  • ¼ cup (60ml) red wine
  • 1 can (190z/796 mL) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon (3g) fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon (3g) dried oregano
  • 2 tubs (1 lb./475 g each) full fat ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup (250g) grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/8 teaspoon (<1g) freshly grated nutmeg
  • 20 dry lasagna noodles (about 1 1/4 lb./500 g)
  • ¼ cup (25g) finely chopped fresh basil
  • ¼ cup (25g) finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 2-½ cups (600g) grated mozzarella cheese
  • 2-½ cups (600g) grated fontina cheese

Steps

  1. Cook pancetta until crisp in a large saucepan over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pancetta to a plate and set aside. Add sausage meat and ground beef and cook until browned, 5 to 7 minutes, breaking meat up as it cooks.
  2. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is softened, 5 minutes. Stir in cherry tomatoes; cook 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, red wine, crushed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, fennel seeds and oregano. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes.
  3. In a separate bowl, stir together ricotta, parmesan, egg, egg yolk and nutmeg in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Fill a 9x13-inch (23x33cm) baking pan with very hot tap water. Add lasagna noodles and soak for 20 minutes. Drain and set noodles aside.
  5. Heat oven to 375F (190C). Spray a deep 9x13-inch (23x33cm) casserole dish with cooking spray. Spray a large piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray (large enough to cover casserole dish as lasagna bakes).
  6. Stir basil, parsley and pancetta into sauce.
  7. To assemble, spread 1 cup (250ml) of sauce onto bottom of prepared dish. Top with five noodles, breaking them up to fit, if needed. Spread with a third of the ricotta mixture followed by ½ cup each of the mozzarella and fontina cheese. Spread with a quarter of the sauce then repeat the layers. Spread last layer of noodles with the final quarter of sauce and 1 cup of each the mozzarella and fontina. Cover with the aluminum foil, spray-side-down.
  8. Bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil, and continue to bake for until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before cutting to serve.