How To Make Lasagna with Meat Sauce and Ricotta | Easy Baked Lasagna Recipe

ricotta cheese

🥗Healthier: cottage cheese

💰Cheaper: cream cheese

Cottage cheese lowers fat content while maintaining creaminess.

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey is leaner, while ground pork is often less expensive.

mozzarella cheese

🥗Healthier: part-skim mozzarella

💰Cheaper: provolone cheese

Part-skim mozzarella reduces fat, while provolone is usually cheaper.

Parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated Pecorino Romano

Nutritional yeast is dairy-free, while Pecorino is often more affordable.

Start with 1/2 pound of cold ground beef in a medium skillet.

Beat up the cold hamburger to break it apart as it cooks.

Chop vegetables: onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and garlic into small pieces.

Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to the skillet with the ground beef.

Sauté the garlic until fragrant, then add the chopped onions, green peppers, and red peppers.

Cook the vegetables until they are soft and sweat down.

Add 1 teaspoon of sun-dried tomato paste and 1 teaspoon of onion powder to the vegetables.

Add 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon of dried parsley to the mixture.

Pour in 2 cans of tomato puree and mix well.

Add 1 teaspoon of dried basil and 1-2 tablespoons of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomato sauce.

Add a portion of the cooked ground beef to the sauce, mixing it in well.

In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of ricotta cheese, 1 teaspoon of dried parsley, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, and 1 teaspoon of grated Parmesan cheese, folding it together until well mixed.

Spread a layer of meat sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.

Layer lasagna shells over the meat sauce.

Spread a generous amount of the ricotta mixture over the shells.

Sprinkle a mix of triple cheddar cheese over the ricotta layer.

Repeat the layering process with more shells, ricotta, and meat sauce, ensuring to add cheese in between layers.

Finish with a final layer of meat sauce on top of the last layer of shells.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

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