Lasagna
Ingredients:
– 1 pound ground beef (minced beef in the UK/Australia)
– 1/2 cup diced onion
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (tinned chopped tomatoes in the UK/Australia)
– 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste (tomato puree in the UK/Australia)
– 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
– 9 lasagna noodles (lasagne sheets in the UK/Australia)
– 16 ounces ricotta cheese (curd cheese in the UK/Australia)
– 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
– 1 large egg
– 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
– Chopped fresh basil, for serving (fresh basil, chopped, for garnish in the UK/Australia)
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) (Gas Mark 4 in the UK/Australia).
2. In a large skillet (frying pan in the UK/Australia), cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until the beef is browned and the onion is translucent. Drain any excess fat.
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the skillet and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles (lasagne sheets) and cook them according to the package instructions until they are al dente. Drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese (curd cheese), Parmesan cheese, and egg.
6. To assemble the lasagna, spread a layer of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish (13×9-inch baking dish in the UK/Australia). Top the sauce with 3 lasagna noodles (lasagne sheets), then spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over the ricotta mixture.
7. Repeat the layering process with another layer of meat sauce, 3 lasagna noodles (lasagne sheets), the remaining ricotta mixture, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Top the lasagna with the remaining 3 lasagna noodles (lasagne sheets) and the remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over the top.
8. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
9. Let the lasagna cool for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh basil (fresh basil, chopped) before serving. Enjoy!
