Milania's Lasagna

By AzWench

Did you know that lasagna noodles are flat in Italy? I did because I've been there before. The noodles only have those pretty, curly edges in America.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
• 1 pound lean ground beef (93% lean)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 1/2 cups The Quickie Tomato Sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 12 lasagna noodles
• 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese (freeze the cheese for 1 hour to firm before shredding)
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

Step 1

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a 13 X 9-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat.

2. To make the lasagna sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the beef, onion, and garlic, and cook, stirring often and breaking up the meat with the side of the spoon, until the meat looses it's raw look and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the tomato sauce, parsley, and oregano to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly reduced, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. To make the filling, beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the ricotta, basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and mix well to blend.

5. Add the lasagna noodles to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Do not overcook the noodles. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again, and pat dry with clean kitchen towels. Move ahead right away to the next step.

6. Spread about 1/2 cup of the lasagna sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Overlap 4 lasagna noodles in the dish. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Top with 1 cup of the mozzarella and 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano, then one-third of the lasagna sauce. Repeat with 4 lasagna noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmigiano, and half of the remaining sauce. Finish with the remaining noodles, sauce, mozzarella, and Parmigiano. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. (The lasagna can be prepared up to this point, covered and refrigerated, for up to 8 hours.)

7. Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the sauce is bubbling throughout, about 30 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.