Ingredients
Lasagna
- Vegetable oil spray
- 15 curly-edged lasagna noodles
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 14 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (3 1/2 cups)
- 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Meat Sauce
- 2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1.5 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Cream Sauce
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 1/3 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Stuff to Know Before Cooking
This recipe works best with dried curly-edged lasagna noodles. Avoid substituting with no-boil noodles. A 1-pound box typically contains around 20 noodles, matching the quantity needed for this recipe.
Prepare for Baking
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 375°F.
Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet and a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with oil spray.
Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add the noodles and salt, stirring often, and cook until al dente. Drain and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Use tongs to gently turn the noodles, ensuring they are lightly coated with oil spray. Cut 2 noodles in half crosswise.
Make the Meat Sauce
In a bowl, mash the bread and milk together until smooth. Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper, mixing with your hands until well combined; set aside. Heat the oil in the now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the beef mixture, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, and cook until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 5 minutes to meld the flavors.
Prepare the Cream Sauce
Whisk all the ingredients in a bowl until fully combined.
Assemble the Lasagna
Lay 3 noodles lengthwise in the prepared baking dish with the ends touching one short side, leaving a gap at the far end. Place 1 half noodle crosswise to fill the gap if needed.
Spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce over the noodles, followed by 1/2 cup of cream sauce and 1/2 cup of mozzarella. Repeat the layering of noodles, meat sauce, cream sauce, and mozzarella three more times, alternating the position of the half noodle at the opposite end each time.
Lay the remaining 3 noodles on top (no half noodle for the final layer). Spread the remaining cream sauce evenly over the noodles, then top with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella. Sprinkle Pecorino cheese over the top.
Bake the Lasagna
Lightly spray a sheet of aluminum foil with oil spray and cover the lasagna. Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking until the top is spotty brown, about 25 to 30 minutes longer. Let the lasagna cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
If preparing in advance, cover the dish with greased aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, follow the baking instructions, increasing the covered baking time to 55 minutes.
Beef Lasagna
Ingredients
Lasagna
- Vegetable oil spray
- 15 curly-edged lasagna noodles
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 14 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded (3 1/2 cups)
- 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Meat Sauce
- 2 slices hearty white sandwich bread torn into small pieces
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1.5 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion chopped fine
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
Cream Sauce
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 1/3 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F, middle rack. Lightly spray a baking dish and sheet with oil. Boil noodles in salted water until al dente; drain and place on sprayed sheet. Lightly oil noodles and cut 2 in half crosswise.
- Mash bread and milk in a bowl, then mix in beef, salt, and pepper. Sauté onion in oil until softened (5 min), then add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes; cook 1 min. Add beef mixture, break into pieces, and cook until no longer pink (4 min). Stir in tomatoes and simmer 5 min.
- In a bowl, whisk together all cream sauce ingredients.
- Assemble: Layer 3 noodles in dish, add 1½ cups meat sauce, ½ cup cream sauce, ½ cup mozzarella. Repeat 3 more times, alternating half noodle placement. Top with final 3 noodles, cream sauce, mozzarella, and Pecorino.
- Cover with greased foil, place on baking sheet, and bake 30 min. Uncover and bake until browned, 25–30 min more. Cool 30 min before serving.