Cooking Lesson #707: The Secret to My “Best” Lasagna

 …from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? One of the best comfort foods is Lasagna—and you don’t have to be Italian to be well-comforted. Many home cooks have their own secret family recipes and there are countless ways to make this classic comfort food. If you want to serve lasagna using my recipe, it may become your new family heritage lasagna.
 
My recipe for the "Best" Lasagna utilizes a method I have used for years because it makes the creamiest lasagna you’ve ever tasted. I take the typical ingredient—ricotta cheese—and turn it into a secret sauce that elevates the whole experience. My recipe combines popular, easy-to-find, family-friendly ingredients, with an old-school, authentic Italian technique to make this lasagna unique and over the top. The creamy béchamel melts in your mouth and together with the fresh herbs, it really balances out the hearty flavor of the acidic meat sauce."
 
Of course, we're used to seeing ricotta cheese in lasagna, but it’s usually dropped in clumps on each layer. My Ricotta Béchamel Sauce gets perfect coverage for extra decadent results.
 
Making my secret sauce for this creamy comfort food is simple. It starts out like a traditional béchamel—make a roux by melting butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a few minutes, making sure to continue whisking so nothing sticks or burns. Slowly pour in the milk and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce your heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. Once you season, remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the ricotta cheese until smooth. Let it stand for 10 minutes before using it to build your lasagna. You can also make it a day before, as béchamel can easily be held in the refrigerator for a day.
 
My recipe calls for a flavorful meat sauce with fresh herbs, ricotta béchamel, al dente noodles and mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
 
You will discover that your first bite was extra creamy and delicious. You will experience a velvety touch on the tongue from the bechamel sauce balanced with big, bright flavor from the red meat. The firm chew from the noodles and meat round it all out, along with the signature flavor and texture from the melted mozzarella.
 
I don’t want to brag, but I think you will find this is, hands down, the best lasagna recipe ever! The béchamel sauce makes it that much more special. The homemade sauce is well-balanced. It does take some extra time, but it is so worth it!
 
Prep time:  25 minutes
Cook time:  1 hour 50 minutes
Cool time:  15 minutes
Additional time: 15 mins
Total time: 2 hrs 30 mins
 
Ingredients 
For the basic meat sauce
1 pound ground sirloin (80/20)
1/2 pound spicy ground Italian sausage
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup cheap red cooking wine
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf or Italian parsley
 
For the ricotta bechamel
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-2/3 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
 
For the construction of the lasagna
cooking spray
1 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 
Directions
To prepare the meat sauce

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add the ground sirloin and Italian sausage and cook and stir until browned and crumbly, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside in a bowl.
3. Add the olive oil to the Dutch oven and heat until shimmering.
4. Add the onion and salt and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until softened and translucent; about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the garlic and sauté until fragrant; about 2 minutes.
6. Add the crushed tomatoes, red wine, tomato paste, honey, black pepper, and crushed red pepper; stir until well combined.
7. Stir in cooked meat and bring mixture to a boil.
8. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in basil and parsley.

While sauce is simmering prepare bechamel

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes.
3. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
4. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
5. Remove from the heat and whisk in ricotta until smooth.
6. Let stand for 10 minutes.

To prepare the lasagna noodles

1. At the same time, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
2. Cook 12 lasagna noodles in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite: about 8 minutes.
3. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.

To assemble the lasagna

1. Preheat an oven to 375⁰ F.
2. Lightly coat a 9 X 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Spoon 1/2 cup of the meat sauce into the bottom of the prepared dish.
4. Place 4 noodles across sauce.
5. Spoon 1/3 of remaining meat sauce over noodles.
6. Add 1/2 of the bechamel sauce.
7. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella and 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese.
8. Repeat the layers once more.
9. Top with the remaining 4 noodles, remaining sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese.
10. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
11. Uncover and bake until golden and bubbly; 10 to 15 minutes longer.
12. Remove from the oven and let stand 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with additional fresh basil leaves.

ChefSecret: This lasagna freezes well. I like to make a large baking dish and cut it into 12 cuts and then wrap and freeze.  It will keep well for 90 days. The meat sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and the bechamel sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Quip of the Day:  Why did the lasagna go to therapy? It had too many layers to peel back!
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