Lasagna (Three Cheeses)

This easy Lasagna recipe is beefy, saucy and supremely flavourful. Homemade lasagna is better than any restaurant version and it feeds a crowd for way less than going out to eat.

Meat Sauce:
1 lb ground beef (15-20% fat content)
1 small onion, finely diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup red wine or beef broth
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
24 oz Marinara Sauce (3 cups)
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
¼ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. raw sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped

Noodles and Cheese Sauce:
9 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
16 oz cottage cheese
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided

Make the Meat Sauce:
Place a deep pan or Dutch oven over medium/high heat and add 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 lb ground beef and diced onion. Sauté, breaking up the meat, for 5 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Add pressed garlic and sauté another minute until fragrant.

Add ¼ cup wine and stir for 2 minutes or until wine is nearly evaporated. Add 3 cups marinara, ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper, ¼ tsp. thyme, ½ tsp. sugar and 2 Tbsp. parsley. Bring to a simmer then cover and cook 5 minutes.

Make the Cheese Sauce:
In a large mixing bowl, combine 16 oz cottage cheese, 15 oz ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1 egg and 2 Tbsp. parsley. Mix well.

Make the Lasagna:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C, Gas Mark 5). Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and 9 lasagna noodles. Cook until al dente according to package instructions.

Spread ½ cup meat sauce in the bottom of a deep 9x13" casserole dish. Add 3 noodles, spread on 1/3 of the meat sauce and sprinkle with 1 cup mozarella cheese. Spoon on and spread the top with ½ of your cheese sauce.

Repeat until you have 3 layers of noodles:
Add 3 noodles, 1/3 meat sauce, 1 cup mozarella cheese, ½ cheese sauce. Add 3 noodles, remaining 1/3 meat sauce, remaining 1 cup mozarella.

Poke 9-12 toothpicks over the surface of your lasagna (to keep the foil from sticking to the cheese). Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove foil and broil for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese turns golden. Let lasagna rest 30 minutes before slicing.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Cook's Notes:

• I used 80/20 beef (20% fat content) for a juicier lasagna.
• You will need 9 lasagna noodles for a 9x13" casserole dish (You can use gluten free noodles).
• Use store-bought marinara, or homemade marinara.
• Any good red wine (not cooking wine) will work.

How to Keep Cheese from Sticking to Foil:
There’s nothing worse than having your entire top portion of cheese stuck to your aluminum foil cover. Poke 8-10 toothpicks evenly around the top of your lasagna, pushing them in halfway to keep the aluminum foil from touching and sticking to your lasagna. Just be sure to count and remove every toothpick prior to serving.