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Picture it, Mother’s Day Dinner: Lasagna. A warm cheesy filled pasta dish with layer after layer, of meat sauce, white sauce, ricotta and mozzarella.
This lasagna is so easy to make. Make the meat sauce, make the white sauce, layer them up and bake!
The layers of this lasagna are:
- the meat sauce
- the white sauce
- ricotta
- mozzarella
The ricotta and mozzarella are added as is, but the meat sauce and white sauce need some love. I know there are some folks who use just ricotta, or just white sauce but I’m telling you – YOU NEED BOTH. If not just for the flavor, also so you don’t have a dry lasagna.
What is “White Sauce?”
A white sauce is a béchamel – a creamy French sauce made from a roux and milk. So basically, melt some butter on the stove, whisk in a little flour, then add your milk and parmesan and you’re done.
Fresh Lasagna or Pre-made?
When I was growing up, my mom used the “fresh” pasta that you boiled and then added to the lasagna. Fast forward to 28 year old me and I’ve found that Barilla makes delicious pre-made lasagna sheets that are also gluten free! I prefer these because.. less dishes! They do take a bit longer to cook (20 minutes longer than boiled pasta) but I don’t mind.
I’m excited for you all to try this lasagna – it’s like a warm hug. Spoil your mom this Sunday with this Mother’s Day Dinner: Lasagna!
Mother's Day Dinner: Lasagna
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 2 tbsp Avocado Oil or Olive oil
- 4 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Shallot, minced
- 1½ Cup Yellow Onion, diced
- 16 Oz Ground Beef (450g)
- 5 Oz Ground Pork (150g)
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 2 tsp Better than Bouillon (Vegetable)
- 2 tsp Basil
- 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 14.5 Oz Diced Tomatoes I used Muir Glen
- 8 Oz Tomato Sauce I used Rao's
- 1 tbsp Sugar optional, but recommended to cut through the acidity of the tomatoes
White Sauce
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ¾ Cup Whole Milk
- ½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Lasagna
- 1 Box Barilla Pre-made Lasagna Sheets
- 8-10 Oz Fresh Mozzarella
- 1 Cup Ricotta
Instructions
Meat Sauce
- Add oil to a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add the shallot and yellow onion. Cook until onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and the pork to the pan. Break it apart, then add the salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and oregano and mix.
- Add the bouillon, basil, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and sugar. Then mix and bring to a simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Set aside to cool.
White Sauce
- In a small pot, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from stove and add the flour and whisk for about 30 seconds, or until well blended.
- Place pot back on the stove, reducing the heat. Add the milk and whisk quickly to fully incoporate. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more milk until it has a creamy consistency.
- Turn stove on medium, add the pot back and pour the parmesean in and stir. Stir occasionally until the sauce is thick enough to coat a wooden spoon. Set aside to cool.
Lasagna
- Preheat oven to 375°. I made this a 9" deep pie dish but you could also use a deep square 8x8 pan.
- Start layering.Add a little meat sauce to the bottom of the pan.Then add lasagna sheets to cover (break the sheets, if need be, to fully cover.)Add meat sauce on top of those sheets. Then add some white sauce, and a few dollops of ricotta, and some mozzarella.
- Repeat layers. The last layer should be meat sauce > white sauce > ricotta > mozzarella.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes. With premade sheets, you can tell if the lasagna sheets are done by sticking a knife through the layers. If the knife goes in with ease, the lasagna is done. If the knife hits something hard or tough, the lasagna needs more time.
- Best served with a fresh side salad, good bread and a nice pinot noir 🙂
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