The Best Ever Lasagna
Prep: 2³ ₄ hours • Bake: 1 hour + standing • Makes: 15 servings 1 medium onion, chopped 2 Tbsp. olive oil 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste 2 cans (28 oz. each ) crushed tomatoes in puree 6 cups water
1 cup chopped fresh basil 2¹ ₄ tsp. sugar, divided
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage 4 Italian sausage links
1 carton (16 oz.) whole milk
ricotta cheese
8 cups shredded mozzarella
cheese, divided
1 large egg, beaten
¹₄ tsp. dried basil
12 sheets no-cook
lasagna noodles
21 slices provolone cheese
¹ ₃ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. In a Dutch oven, cook onion in olive oil over medium heat until tender, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes, water, fresh basil, 2 tsp. sugar and the salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, cook bulk sausage in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking meat into crumbles, 8-10 minutes; drain. Add meat to sauce; simmer until mixture thickens, about 1 hour more.
3. While sauce simmers, preheat oven to 350°. Place sausage links on a rimmed baking sheet; roast until cooked through, 35-40 minutes. Remove sausage and allow to cool slightly; slice into ¹₄-in.-thick pieces.
4. In a small bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, egg, dried basil and remaining sugar.
5. In a greased 13x9-in. baking dish, spread 2 cups sauce. Arrange four noodles over sauce; spread with a third of the ricotta mixture. Add seven slices of provolone, a third of the sausage links and 1¹₂ cups mozzarella. Repeat layers twice, using only 1 cup sauce per layer. Spread with 2 cups sauce (reserve any remaining sauce to serve on the side), the remaining 2¹₂ cups of mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese (baking dish will be full).
6. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, uncovered, until bubbly and deep golden brown, 60-65 minutes. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving. Serve with remaining meat sauce.
1 piece: 509 cal., 33g fat (15g sat. fat), 106mg chol., 1185mg sod., 27g carb. (9g sugars, 3g fiber), 29g pro.