Lasagna for the Supper Table

Set out no-boil lasagna noodles or 8 large fresh pasta sheets, quarts pasta sauce, and lbs ground meat I use ½ lb ground sirloin before you start Lasagna for the Supper Table. The batch is written for 12 people.

Count on 15 minutes of prep, 45 minutes of cooking, about 1 hour from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles or 8 large fresh pasta sheets, or 12 traditional noodles cooked al dente
• 1 ½ quarts pasta sauce, about 6 cups
• 1 ½ lbs ground meat I use ½ lb ground sirloin, ½ lb ground pork, ½ lb spicy Italian sausage
• 2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped or ½ teaspoon dried
• 12 oz shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded or grated

How the cooking goes

1. Warm the oven to 350°F.
2. If using traditional noodles, cook until al dente in salted boiling water. Drain, rinse with cold water, and toss with olive oil. If using no-boil or fresh noodles, skip this step.
3. Brown the ground meat in a wide pan over a moderate flame. Drain excess fat and stir in pasta sauce.
4. Mince fresh herbs and fold throughto the ricotta cheese.
5. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Lay down noodles to cover the bottom, overlapping slightly if needed.
6. Spread about ½ cup ricotta mixture over noodles. Add about a quarter of the meat sauce, then sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan.
7. Repeat layers until the dish is full, ending with sauce and a generous layer of mozzarella and parmesan on top.
8. Cover with foil then bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 more minutes until golden and bubbly.
9. Allow rest 15-20 minutes before serving.

After it comes off the heat

Cool the pot before it goes into the refrigerator. It reheats gently on the stove the next day.

If you want another plate from Beef, open Stuffed Shells with Meat with a Clear Method and Ricotta Meatballs for a Weeknight Plate.