Chef John's Lasagna Recipe

Welcome to Chef John's kitchen! Today, I am excited to share with you one of my all-time favorite recipes - Chef John's Lasagna. This classic Italian dish is a labor of love, but the end result is well worth the effort. Layers of rich, savory meat sauce, creamy béchamel, and perfectly cooked lasagna noodles come together to create a dish that is hearty, comforting, and absolutely delicious.

Lasagna is a dish that has been enjoyed for centuries, with its origins dating back to ancient ...

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (Optional)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 cups prepared marinara sauce
¼ cup water, or as needed (Optional)
1 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles
2 large eggs
2 pounds whole-milk ricotta cheese
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
⅔ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
½ cup freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Information

Prep Time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 3 hrs 15 mins
Additional Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 4 hrs
Servings: 12
Yield: 1 10x15-inch lasagna

Make the sauce: Cook and stir ground beef and sausage in a large saucepan over medium heat until browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and pepper flakes. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until mushrooms have given off their juices and the bottom of the pan is almost dry, 4 to 6 minutes.

Pour marinara sauce into meat mixture. (If using jarred sauce, add a little water to each jar and shake to get all sauce out of the jar; add to meat mixture.) Reduce the heat to low and simmer until meat is extremely tender, about 2 hours; add more water if sauce becomes too thick. Skim fat, then season sauce with salt and black pepper. Turn off the heat.

When the sauce is almost finished, make the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse lasagna noodles; set aside in a bowl of cold water.

While the pasta is cooking, make the filling: Whisk eggs in a large bowl, then stir in ricotta, mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, salt, black pepper, and cayenne.

When the sauce, pasta, and filling are ready, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Divide sauce into fourths, noodles into thirds, and filling in half for layering. Layer ingredients in a 10x15-inch baking pan, spreading out to fill the pan, as follows: one part sauce, one part noodles, one part filling. Repeat once more. Add one part sauce, then tap the dish lightly on a sturdy work surface to settle the layers. Continue with one part noodles and one part sauce. Sprinkle remaining fresh mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano over top.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, making sure it doesn't touch the cheese. Place onto a baking sheet to catch any spills.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until golden brown and bubbly, 30 to 35 more minutes. Let sit for 20 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

730 cal.

Total Fat: 39g
Saturated Fat: 20g
Cholesterol: 159mg
Sodium: 1514mg
Total Carbohydrate: 50g
Dietary Fiber: 5g
Total Sugars: 14g
Protein: 43g
Vitamin C: 5mg
Calcium: 524mg
Iron: 4mg
Potassium: 846mg

How to Make Chef John's Lasagna - A Step-by-Step Guide

Ingredients

Information

Nutrition

730 cal.

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