The Best Lasagna

Name: The Best Lasagna
Total time: 255
Yield: 8
Ingredients: ½ lb ground sirloin, lean; ½ lb mild italian pork sausage, casing removed; 2 oz prosciutto, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves; 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves; ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional; ½ teaspoon crushed fennel seeds; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; ½ cup dry red wine; 28 oz whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano; 1 ½ cups passata, or strained tomatoes; 1 large carrot, peeled; ½ cup unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, optional; ½ cup torn fresh basil leaves; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter; 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 6 cups whole milk, room temperature; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; ¾ teaspoon garlic powder; ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; 1 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese; nonstick cooking spray, for greasing; 1 lb no-boil lasagna noodles; hot water; 1 tablespoon olive oil

Recipe by Lauren Lee from tasty.co

Dinner 4 Hr. 15 Mins.

Ingredients

8 servings

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½ lb ground sirloin, lean
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½ lb mild italian pork sausage, casing removed
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2 oz prosciutto, finely chopped
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1 medium yellow onion, diced
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2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
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6 cloves garlic, minced
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1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
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1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves
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½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
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½ teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
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2 tablespoons tomato paste
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½ cup dry red wine
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28 oz whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
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1 ½ cups passata, or strained tomatoes
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1 large carrot, peeled
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½ cup unsalted butter
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1 teaspoon granulated sugar, optional

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½ cup torn fresh basil leaves
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6 tablespoons unsalted butter
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6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
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6 cups whole milk, room temperature
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2 teaspoons kosher salt
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¾ teaspoon garlic powder
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¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
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1 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
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nonstick cooking spray, for greasing
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1 lb no-boil lasagna noodles
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hot water
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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1 ½ cups freshly grated fontina cheese
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1 cup freshly grated low-moisture mozzarella cheese
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4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into small pieces
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¼ cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
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fresh basil leaf, for garnish

Instructions

Make the meat sauce: In a large bowl, gently combine the ground sirloin, sausage, and prosciutto, being careful not to overmix. Shape into 5–6 large, shaggy meatballs.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the meatballs and brown on all sides, 1–2 minutes per side. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and repeat with the remaining meatballs.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion. Season with salt and sauté until translucent, 5–7 minutes.
Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds. Sauté for 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the color turns dark red, 3–4 minutes.
Deglaze the pot with the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, and cook until the liquid has almost evaporated, 1–2 minutes.
Add the canned tomatoes, passata, carrot, butter, the browned meatballs, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1½–2 hours, until the sauce has thickened.
Remove the sauce from the heat and discard the carrot, then use a potato masher to crush the meatballs into small pieces. Season the sauce with more salt to taste. If the sauce tastes too acidic, add the granulated sugar. Stir in the basil leaves and set aside.
Make the béchamel sauce: Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once the butter starts to foam, add the flour. Cook, whisking constantly, for about 3 minutes, until no lumps remain but the roux has not yet browned. While whisking, slowly pour in the milk until evenly incorporated. Whisk in the salt, garlic powder, and nutmeg. Bring to a low simmer and cook, whisking often, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 8–10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Assemble the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9 x 13 x 3-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
Add no-boil lasagna noodles to a large baking dish or bowl. Cover with hot water and add the olive oil. Let sit for 5–10 minutes, until the noodles are a bit more pliable, but still snap when broken in half.
Spread about ¾ cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add a layer of lasagna noodles. Spread about 1 heaping cup of béchamel over noodles in an even layer. Top with 1 heaping cup of meat sauce, followed by ¼ cup fontina and ¼ cup grated mozzarella. Add another layer of noodles, arranging in the opposite direction as the first layer, and top with about 1 heaping cup of béchamel. Repeat to make 4 more layers, ending with a layer of lasagna noodles.
Spread 1 cup of béchamel, then 1 cup of meat sauce over the noodles. Scatter the remaining ½ cup of fontina, the fresh mozzarella cheese, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. Reserve the remaining meat sauce for serving. Cover the baking dish with a sheet of foil (grease the underside with nonstick spray to prevent the cheese from sticking) and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake the lasagna for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 25–30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Broil for 1–2 minutes, if desired, to brown the cheese. Remove from the oven and let the lasagna sit for at least 20 minutes to cool.
Garnish the lasagna with the basil, then serve with the reserved meat sauce alongside.
Enjoy!