Best Lasagna with Ricotta Bechamel

This recipe combines popular, easy-to-find, family-friendly ingredients, with an old-school, authentic Italian technique to make this lasagna unique and over the top. The creamy bechamel melts in your mouth and together with the fresh herbs, it really balances out the hearty flavor of the meat sauce.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 50 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 507 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup dry red wine
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• cooking spray
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ pound ground Italian sausage
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 ⅔ cups whole milk
• 4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Prepare meat sauce: Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground sirloin and sausage; cook and stir until browned and crumbly, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Step 2

Add olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add onion and salt and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, black pepper, and crushed red pepper; stir until well combined. Stir in cooked meat and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in basil and parsley.

Step 3

While sauce is simmering prepare bechamel: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes. Whisk in milk, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from the heat and whisk in ricotta until smooth. Let stand 10 minutes.

Step 4

At the same time, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook 12 lasagna noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Step 5

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Step 6

Spoon 1/2 cup meat sauce into the bottom of the prepared dish. Place 4 noodles across sauce. Spoon 1/3 of remaining meat sauce over noodles. Add 1/2 of the bechamel sauce, then sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella and 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers once more. Top with remaining 4 noodles, remaining sauce, and remaining mozzarella cheese.

Step 7

Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden and bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let stand 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with additional fresh basil leaves.