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Classic Lasagna

Source of Recipe


Southern Living magazine



List of Ingredients



• 2 medium onions, chopped
  
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 pound lean ground beef
  
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can basil, garlic, and oregano diced tomatoes
  
• 2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
  
• 1 (8-ounce) can basil, garlic, and oregano tomato sauce
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  
• 1¼ tsp salt, divided
  
• 12 lasagna noodles, uncooked
  
• 8 cups boiling water
  
• 1 (16-ounce) container ricotta cheese
  
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  
• 2 (6-ounce) packages part-skim mozzarella cheese slices
  
• Garnish: fresh chopped parsley
  






Instructions



1. Line a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with heavy-duty nonstick aluminum foil, allowing several inches of foil to extend over sides.
   
   
2. Sauté onion in 1 tablespoon hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes -- or until beef crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain beef mixture, and return to skillet. Stir in diced tomatoes, next four ingredients, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf; set meat sauce aside.
   
   
3. Place lasagna noodles in a 13- x 9-inch pan. Carefully pour 8 cups boiling water and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over noodles. Let stand 15 minutes.
   
   
4. Stir together ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper until blended.
   
   
5. Spoon half of the meat sauce mixture in the prepared baking dish. Shake excess water from noodles, and arrange 6 noodles over meat sauce; top with half of ricotta mixture and one package mozzarella slices. Repeat layers once. Freeze unbaked lasagna until firm. Remove from baking dish by holding edges of foil; fold foil over lasagna. Wrap in additional foil, making sure it is tightly sealed to keep out the air. Freeze up to 1 month.
   
   Makes 8 to 10 servings.
   
   
   TO SERVE:
   The day before serving, remove lasagna from the freezer. Remove foil, and place lasagna in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Cover and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
   
   Bake, covered, at 350° F for 55 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 to 15 more minutes, or until bubbly. Let lasagna stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, if desired. (Lasagna may also be baked frozen; plan to double the baking times.)