Beef Lasagna Recipe | Easy Dinner | - Natasha's Kitchen

ricotta cheese

🥗Healthier: cottage cheese

💰Cheaper: cream cheese

Cottage cheese provides a lower-fat option while maintaining creaminess.

mozzarella cheese

🥗Healthier: part-skim mozzarella

💰Cheaper: cheddar cheese

Part-skim mozzarella reduces calories while cheddar is often cheaper.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated pecorino

Nutritional yeast offers a dairy-free alternative, while pecorino is often less expensive.

Place 9 lasagna noodles into a pot of salted water and cook until al dente according to the package instructions.

Drain the noodles, then add cold water to stop the cooking process and keep them from sticking together.

In a deep pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then 1 pound of ground beef and 1 small diced onion; sauté for 5 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink.

Add 2 large minced garlic cloves and cook for another minute or until fragrant.

Add 1/4 cup of red wine and sauté until mostly evaporated; if you don't have red wine, substitute with beef broth.

Add 24 ounces of marinara sauce, season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of parsley; bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 16 ounces of cottage cheese, 15 ounces of ricotta cheese, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, 1 large egg, and 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley; mix until well blended.

Spread 1/2 cup of the meat sauce evenly over the bottom of a deep 9 by 13 casserole dish and cover with 3 lasagna noodles.

Add 1/3 of the remaining meat sauce and sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Spoon on half of the cheese sauce and spread evenly; repeat the process until you have three layers of noodles.

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Top the last layer of noodles with the remaining meat sauce and cover with 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Poke 8 to 10 toothpicks evenly over the top of the lasagna to prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil, then loosely cover with foil and seal the edges.

Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and set the oven to broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

Let the lasagna cool for 30 minutes in the pan before slicing.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens