From-The-Freezer Meaty Lasagna
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 28, 2011
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Tomato Meat Sauce
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, chopped fine6 cloves garlic, minced¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes ½ pound ground beef chuck (85 percent lean)½ pound ground pork 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ cup heavy cream 1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree 1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounces) ¼ cup chopped fresh basilRicotta, Mozzarella, and Pasta Layers
1 ¾ cups whole-milk ricotta 1 ¼ cups Grated Parmesan cheese ¼ cup chopped fresh basil 2 large eggs, lightly beaten¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 5 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese 12 no-boil lasagna noodles (from one 8- or 9-ounce package)Before You Begin
This lasagna can be assembled and frozen for up to 2 months before being baked.
Instructions
- For the sauce: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high, add ground meats, salt, and pepper, and cook, breaking meat into small pieces, until meat is no longer pink but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add cream and simmer until liquid evaporates and only fat remains, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomato puree, diced tomatoes, and basil and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer until flavors blend, about 3 minutes. Remove pot from heat, cool sauce for 20 minutes, then refrigerate until cool, at least 20 minutes.
- For the pasta layers: Mix ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, basil, eggs, salt, and pepper in bowl. Spread 1/4 cup meat sauce over bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Place 3 noodles crosswise on top of sauce, evenly space 9 tablespoons ricotta mixture over noodles, and sprinkle evenly with 1 1/4 cups mozzarella; spoon 1 1/2 cups sauce over cheese. Repeat layering of noodles, ricotta mixture, mozzarella, and sauce two more times. Place 3 remaining noodles on top and spread with remaining sauce. Cover with remaining 1 1/4 cups mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
- Spray large sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray and tightly cover lasagna. Wrap with plastic wrap several times and cover with another layer of foil. Freeze.
- When ready to serve: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove all wrapping except foil layer that is flush against lasagna. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes, then remove foil. Continue baking until cheese is spotty brown and sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let lasagna cool for 15 minutes. Serve.
Yield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
Tomato Meat Sauce
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
6 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ pound ground beef chuck (85 percent lean)
½ pound ground pork
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup heavy cream
1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree
1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounces)
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Pasta Layers
1 ¾ cups whole-milk ricotta
1 ¼ cups Grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
5 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
12 no-boil lasagna noodles (from one 8- or 9-ounce package)
Ingredients
Tomato Meat Sauce
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
6 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ pound ground beef chuck (85 percent lean)
½ pound ground pork
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup heavy cream
1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree
1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounces)
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Pasta Layers
1 ¾ cups whole-milk ricotta
1 ¼ cups Grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
5 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
12 no-boil lasagna noodles (from one 8- or 9-ounce package)
Ingredients
Tomato Meat Sauce
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
6 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ pound ground beef chuck (85 percent lean)
½ pound ground pork
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup heavy cream
1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree
1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounces)
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Pasta Layers
1 ¾ cups whole-milk ricotta
1 ¼ cups Grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
5 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
12 no-boil lasagna noodles (from one 8- or 9-ounce package)
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted a lasagna recipe that would deliver a rich and meaty weeknight meal that we didn’t need to defrost before putting in the oven. To achieve this, we used no-boil noodles, which are precooked and dehydrated before packaging, so they freeze well and bake up tender but never mushy. And to ensure our meaty lasagna recipe held up to the punishing effects of the freezer, we bulked up the flavors by replacing some of the ground beef with ground pork and increasing the amount of crushed red pepper flakes and fresh basil.
Before You Begin
This lasagna can be assembled and frozen for up to 2 months before being baked.
Instructions
- For the sauce: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high, add ground meats, salt, and pepper, and cook, breaking meat into small pieces, until meat is no longer pink but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add cream and simmer until liquid evaporates and only fat remains, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomato puree, diced tomatoes, and basil and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer until flavors blend, about 3 minutes. Remove pot from heat, cool sauce for 20 minutes, then refrigerate until cool, at least 20 minutes.
- For the pasta layers: Mix ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, basil, eggs, salt, and pepper in bowl. Spread 1/4 cup meat sauce over bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Place 3 noodles crosswise on top of sauce, evenly space 9 tablespoons ricotta mixture over noodles, and sprinkle evenly with 1 1/4 cups mozzarella; spoon 1 1/2 cups sauce over cheese. Repeat layering of noodles, ricotta mixture, mozzarella, and sauce two more times. Place 3 remaining noodles on top and spread with remaining sauce. Cover with remaining 1 1/4 cups mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
- Spray large sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray and tightly cover lasagna. Wrap with plastic wrap several times and cover with another layer of foil. Freeze.
- When ready to serve: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove all wrapping except foil layer that is flush against lasagna. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes, then remove foil. Continue baking until cheese is spotty brown and sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let lasagna cool for 15 minutes. Serve.
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