Beef and Sausage Lasagna with Marinara

There is no better meal for feeding a group than a lasagna. It can be made ahead of time, and even frozen a couple weeks in advance, so if you have some time today, assemble the lasagna and stash it in the freezer. Then all you’ll have to do is make some garlic bread and a green salad and you’ll be ready for a dinner party at a moment’s notice.

 

Beef and Sausage Lasagna with Marinara

 

For the marinara sauce:

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (28 oz./875 g) crushed tomatoes

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

 

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

8 oz. (250 g) lasagna noodles

2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for greasing

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb. (500 g) ground beef

1/2 lb. (250 g) sweet or spicy Italian sausage

2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) Marinara Sauce (page 16)

15 oz. (470 g) whole-milk ricotta cheese

1 large egg, lightly beaten

12 oz. (375 g) buffalo mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

4 oz. (125 g) low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

3 Tbs. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup (1/3 oz./10 g) lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped

 

To make the marinara sauce, in a heavy nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté just until soft, about 1 minute longer.

 

Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the oregano and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

 

Set aside 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) of the marinara sauce. Transfer the remaining sauce to an airtight
container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

 

Preheat an oven to 375°F (190°C).

 

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the lasagna noodles and cook
according to the package instructions. Drain well and lay the noodles in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet. Set aside.

 

In a fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté just until soft, about 1 minute longer. Remove the sausage casings. Add the beef and sausage and cook, stirring occasionally and using your spoon to break up any clumps, until the meat is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the marinara sauce and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.

 

In a bowl, stir together the ricotta and egg and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.

 

To assemble, coat a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and lay one-third of the noodles on the bottom. Top the noodle layer with half of the meat, half of the ricotta mixture (dollop it evenly), and one-third of the fresh mozzarella slices. Arrange another layer of noodles over the filling and top with the remaining meat, the remaining ricotta mixture, and about one-third of the remaining mozzarella slices. Place the final layer of noodles over all, scatter the remaining mozzarella slices and the shredded mozzarella on top, then sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan.

 

Bake until hot throughout and the sauce is bubbling, about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve. Serves 8 to 10.

 

 

 

For this and more ideas for pasta dishes you’ll want to serve every night of the week, check out our new Pasta Night, by Kate McMillan.