The Ultimate Lasagna Recipe

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Ingredients

• 2 pounds of dried lasagna noodles
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds of ground beef
• 2 pounds of ground Italian sausage
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon of chopped oregano leaves
• 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 2 cups of red wine
• 2 (28-ounce) cans of tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano)
• 3 tablespoons of heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 quarts ricotta cheese, (2 containers)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound of mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Grated Parmesan and mozzarella, for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cook the lasagna noodles in plenty of boiling salted water until pliable and barely tender, about 10 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Drain the noodles thoroughly and coat with olive oil to keep them moist and easy to work with.
3. Coat a large skillet with olive oil, add beef and sausage and brown until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. In a food processor, combine the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, basil, parsley, an oregano. Process until pureed, add to the pan with the ground meat and stir to combine. Stir in the flour. Add the wine and cook until it has reduced by half. Stir in the tomatoes and add the heavy cream and the cinnamon.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta and the parmesan. Stir in the eggs and season with salt and pepper.
5. To assemble the lasagna: Coat the bottom of a deep 13 by 9-inch pan with olive oil. Arrange 4 noodles lengthwise in a slightly overlapping layer on the sauce. Then, line each end of the pan with a lasagna noodle. This forms a collar that holds in the corners. Dollop 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the pasta, spread to the edges with a spatula. Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture over the ricotta. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella on top of the ricotta. Top with a ladle full of sauce, spread evenly. Repeat with the next layer of noodles, ricotta, sauce, and cheeses. Top last layer with noodles, sauce, shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Tap the pan to force out air bubbles. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven. Let lasagna rest for 30 minutes so the noodles will settle and cut easily. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.