Pictured above with a batch of Almond Flour Chocolate PB Cookies.
We're calling this a "Classic Lasagna", because this is everything you expect when you picture a lasagna. Meaty tomato sauce and tender noodles, all arranged together with a delectable assortment of cheeses (and just the right seasoning!)
This is easily the longest recipe on this website, but it's definitely worth it for the end result. The steps are laid out as clearly and easily as possible. It's honestly simple, when it comes down to it. All you need to do is prepare the lasagna noodles, cook the meat sauce, and assemble. Just take it one step at a time - you can do it! I promise!
Enjoy this meal as a perfect way to start your weekend - just don't forget to save room for dessert. ;)
Note: Because bouillon is typically high sodium, I only recommend adding salt if desired once sauce is finished cooking (see sauce Step 12).
Prep Time: 30 Minutes | Cook Time: 98 Minutes | Total Time: 128 Minutes
Special Equipment
2 large Baking Sheets
1 large Pot (for boiling lasagna noodles and cooking meat sauce)
1 Strainer (to rinse noodles and ground beef)
1 large Pan (for cooking ground beef)
Blender
1 Spatula
1 large Slotted Spoon
1 Ladle, or a large cooking spoon
One glass 9"x13" casserole dish
Aluminum Foil
Ingredients (US Standard)
Meat Sauce
2tbsp Coconut Oil (or other cooking oil of choice)
1lb Ground Beef, raw
3/4 cup White Onion, chopped
2 tbsp Minced Garlic
28oz Tomato Sauce (about 1 3/4 cups)
14oz Canned Crushed Tomato
3oz Canned Tomato Paste (about 5 tbsp)
2tsp Oregano
1/4 cup Chopped Parsley (or substitute with chopped cilantro)
Pinch of Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 tbsp Coconut Sugar
1tbsp Black Pepper, ground
2 tsp Dried Basil
2 tsp Chicken or Vegetable Bouillon (substitute with Better Than Bouillon for MSG-free)
Dash of Salt, to taste
Lasagna
Cooking spray
9 Lasagna Noodles, unbroken (consider making 1 extra noodle in case of breakage)
15oz Low Fat Ricotta (or substitute with Cream Cheese)
6 cups Mozzarella, shredded
1 Cup Parmesan, grated
Ingredients (Metric)*
Meat Sauce
30 mL Coconut Oil (or other cooking oil of choice)
454g Ground Beef, raw
39g White Onion, chopped
30g Minced Garlic
794g Canned Tomato Sauce
423.5g Canned Crushed Tomato
85g Canned Tomato Paste
3g Oregano
15g Chopped Parsley (or substitute with chopped cilantro)
Pinch of Garlic Powder
15 mL Red Wine Vinegar
12.5g Coconut Sugar
8.4g Black Pepper, ground
3.2g Dried Basil
8g Chicken Bouillon
Dash of Salt, to taste
Lasagna
Cooking spray
9 Lasagna Noodles, unbroken (consider making 1 extra noodle in case of breakage)
385g Low Fat Ricotta (or substitute with Cream Cheese)
672g Mozzarella, shredded
115g Parmesan, grated
*All metric units are converted and should be considered more or less.
Method
Prepare Lasagna Noodles
Spray large baking sheets with cooking spray. Set aside.
Fill a large pot with water and a pinch of salt. Put on stove, set to High, and bring to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook per box instructions, stirring frequently (and gently) to keep the noodles from sticking together or breaking.
Once cooked, drain and rinse with cool water. Gently pry the noodles apart while rinsing, taking care not to rip or break them. Set pot aside to cook meat sauce with.
Lay noodles, side by side, on greased baking sheets, allowing them to cool. Set strainer aside for later. Now, you can focus on the meat sauce.
Prepare Meat Sauce
Prep all meat sauce ingredients first. Add all ingredients, except for the salt and canned tomato products, to a bowl. This will be the Oregano, Chopped Parsley, Garlic Powder, Red Wine Vinegar, Coconut Sugar, Black Pepper, Dried Basil, Chicken Bouillon. Stir to combine, and set aside until Step 10.
Add 2tbsp Cooking Oil to large pan. Heat on Medium.
Add the ground beef to the pan, and break into four large pieces with spatula. Cook until the ground beef starts to brown, about 5 minutes.
Use spatula to break beef apart even more and stir, and let cook for another minute or so. After a minute or so, break beef apart some more and stir again. Repeat step until all beef is brown, this step will take about 5-10 minutes total.
Use a slotted spoon to remove beef from pot and place in strainer.
Discard most of the grease from the pot, reserving about 2 tbsp of grease.
Add garlic and onion to the grease, and cook on Medium until soft (about 2-3 minutes).
Transfer garlic, onion, and remaining grease to a blender. Blend until creamy.
Set the burner to High. Add the creamed onion back to pot, along with the ground beef.
Add the canned tomato ingredients (sauce, paste, and crushed tomatoes) to the Pot. Pour the bowl of all combined remaining ingredients that you prepped in Step 1. Stir well to combine, and bring to a boil, continuing to stir frequently.
Once boiling, cover and set burner to Low. Let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every minute or two to keep sauce from sticking to the pot.
Taste the sauce - add salt to taste, if desired.
Assemble Lasagna
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
In the 9"x13" Casserole dish, ladle about 1 cup of sauce into dish. Spread to cover the entire bottom. Add 3 lasagna noodles to the dish, covering the meat sauce. Lay them side by side, so that they cover the majority of the dish.
Ladle 1/3 of remaining sauce over the noodles, spreading gently to cover the noodles well. Sprinkle 1/3 of Mozzarella over the sauce. Add half of the ricotta cheese, by placing dollops evenly spaced apart. Then sprinkle 1/2 of the parmesan cheese across the top of the dish.
Add 3 more noodles, in the same manner as before. Press down lightly to set them.
Add 1/2 of the remaining sauce, 1/2 of the remaining Mozzarella, all of the remaining Ricotta, and all of the remaining Parmesan. In the same manner as done in Step 3.
Add last 3 noodles. Press to set, as done in Step 4.
Add remaining sauce and Mozzarella.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Tent the foil slightly so it doesn't touch the cheese or the sauce. Place the casserole on top of one of the large baking sheets used for the noodles. This way, the sheet will catch any sauce spillage that might occur during baking.
Bake on top rack for 45 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Nutritional Data
Servings: 12
Serving Size: 1/12th of yield
Calories: 454 | Protein: 33 | Carbs: 35 | Fiber: 4 | Fats: 22
Recipe is derived from "Lasagna" by Simply Recipes. Some ingredients were omitted / adjusted to suit my personal taste, and steps were rewritten for clarity. Instructions on freezing / saving can be found in this article. This lasagna does not last long enough in my house to worry much about saving instructions. It has lasted up to 3 days in the refrigerator, and it was just fine.
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