Beefy Lasagna Nachos

It tastes like what you'd expect; meaty, cheesy, crunchy. The world is your oyster with this one! The pasta chips are super crunchy and a great base for these nachos. The ground beef has a good base of flavor from the Italian seasoning, garlic, and marinara which give it a quick and easy Italian-American flavor profile. The ricotta and the cheese sauce work well together in that one spreads over everything like a traditional queso, then you get pops of hot creamy ricotta. Optional toppings: half-moon zucchini slices, sauteed mushrooms, sliced pepperoncini, chopped Calabrian chiles, etc.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 390 Calories

Ingredients

• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ½ cup vegetable oil for frying, or as needed
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• ½ cup marinara sauce
• ½ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 9 ounces lasagna noodles
• 8 ounces ground sirloin

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Cut each noodle into assorted desired shapes.

Step 2

Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 3 inches into a Dutch oven; heat over high to reach 360 degrees F (182 degrees C). Add 8 to 10 pasta pieces, one at a time to avoid them sticking together, and cook, lightly tapping under the oil and stirring with a spider tool occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove using a spider or tongs to a paper towel-lined sheet tray, and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining pasta pieces, allowing oil temperature to reach back to 360 degrees F (182 degrees C) before adding next batch.

Step 3

Set an oven rack in the top third and preheat the oven's broiler. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Step 4

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and ground sirloin; cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and Italian seasoning; cook stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 minute more. Stir in marinara sauce and remove from heat. Set aside.

Step 5

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until starting to bubble, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in milk, whisking constantly. Cook over medium heat, whisking often, until slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in mozzarella, Parmesan, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Step 6

Arrange lasagna chips in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle 1/2 of the cheese sauce over top and evenly sprinkle with the sirloin mixture. Dollop with ricotta.

Step 7

Broil in the preheated oven until ricotta gets brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Serve drizzled with remaining cheese sauce, basil, and parsley.