The Best Ever Lasagna

• Meat

  • 1 1/2 lbs Ground beef

• Produce

  • 2 sprigs Basil, fresh
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 1 Onion
  • 1 Red bell pepper, large
  • 1 bag Spinach, fresh
  • 1 can Tomatoes

• Canned Goods

  • 1 small can Tomato paste

• Condiments

  • 1 1/2 large can Spaghetti marinera sauce

• Pasta & Grains

  • 10 Lasagna noodles

• Baking & Spices

  • 1 Cayenne
  • 1 Salt and pepper
  • 1/2 tbsp Sugar

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 1 Olive oil

• Dairy

  • 2 8-oz. tubs Mozzarella, fresh thin
  • 15 oz Ricotta cheese

Found on waitingonmartha.com

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs ground beef (you can use faux-beef too)
• 1 onion
• 4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• A couple sprigs fresh basil
• 1 bag fresh spinach, finely chopped
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2-2 large can spaghetti marinera sauce (I like mine with a little spice). You want to choose a thicker sauce, not with a soupy consistency
• 10-12 lasagna noodles
• 15 oz. ricotta cheese
• 2 8-oz. tubs fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• cayenne, if preferred
• + olive oil (I use my herb infused olive oil for extra flavor)

Directions

• In a large dutch oven, add olive oil, garlic and onions. Sautee until they turn translucent. Next, add your red pepper. Cook until soft (about 2 minutes). Add ground beef, canned tomatoes and tomato paste (this thickens the sauce), tomato sauce, fresh basil and about a tablespoon of salt, 1/2 tablespoon of fresh ground pepper and 1/2 tablespoon of sugar. If you want spice like I always do, add a sprinkle of cayenne. Add olive oil (I use my rosemary olive oil and basil olive oil for additional flavor). Stir it all together, letting it mix well. Bring sauce to a boil, and then simmer for 10-15 minutes to really bring out the flavor. During the last 5 minutes, add your spinach. Taste as you go; does it need more sauce, more beef, more salt, etc.?
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cook lasagna noodles per package directions. Spray your pan, apply a very thin layer of marinera sauce with a few spoonfulls (I reserve half of the jar to add throughout the layers because I feel like lasagna gets really dry). Lay down the cooked lasagna noodles. Mine actually laid perfectly vertical in my pan (depends on size and shape of pan). Add your ricotta cheese, spreading evenly with a spatula or your fingers. Add ground beef filling mixture. Repeat 1-2 times for additional layers per size of your dish. Cover dish with tin foil, and cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, check the dish and remove tin foil. If edges are coming away from pan, then youll know its ready to cook the final step, uncovered. Remove tin foil, lay a final layer of mozzarella and cook until it completely melts (about 10 mins) Switch to broiler to brown the top of the dish and watch closely (you dont want the mozzarella to burn). It should take about 2 minutes on broil.