Khiren

-NOODLES AND CHEESES-

Lasagna noodles (9+, depending on pan size)

Parmesan cheese (1 cup)

Fresh mozzarella cheese (16 oz)

Ricotta cheese (15 oz)

-BECHAMEL SAUCE-

Butter (2 tbsp)

Flour (2 tbsp)

Milk (1.5 cups)

-TOMATO SAUCE-

Tomato paste (12 oz)

Diced tomato (14.5 oz)

Garlic (a whole hecking bulb's worth)

Dried oregano (2 tsp)

Fresh basil (1.5 tbsp, plus more for garnish)

Dried rosemary (1 tsp)

Ground beef (1 lb)

Italian sausage (0.5 lb)

Chicken stock (1 cup) (homemade > Better than Bouillon >>>> boxed stock > water as a last resort)

Olive oil (1 tbsp)

1 yellow or sweet onion

Salt and pepper to taste

Dice onion

Mince garlic (You can use less than a full bulb… but garlic is delicious, there’s a ton of other stuff in the lasagna to stand up to the flavor, and the longer garlic is cooked the more mellow it becomes. Garlic fiends can add a bit of extra just a few minutes before finishing the sauce for a stronger flavor)

Chop basil

Prepare cheeses (cut up mozzarella, grate parmesan, etc.). If your mozzarella is particularly wet, press out excess moisture using paper towels.

Optional: Grind dried oregano and dried rosemary with mortar and pestle. This is mostly for the benefit of the rosemary, which I find can be very tough when used dried in sauces, even when added early.

Heat a pot over medium-low heat, then add olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, add diced onion and stir to coat.

Cook onion for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When onions are soft and translucent, add minced garlic and stir. Garlic only needs about 30 seconds to "cook" here before moving on!!!

Add tomato paste, diced tomato, and chicken stock, stirring until everything comes together. Add dried herbs, a bit of ground black pepper, and a bit of salt (not much! You can add more later!!!). Turn pot to low heat to allow sauce to simmer.

Heat separate pan over medium heat (medium-high if using something like cast iron that can hold heat well. DON'T use non-stick cookware on super high heat!!!). Add a bit of oil, then add ground beef and ground Italian sausage when the pan is hot and oil is shimmering.

Break the meat into a few large chunks and separate them, letting the chunks brown on 2-3 sides before breaking up into smaller bits to finish cooking. (This is to build up extra flavor on the meat for the sauce. If you break up the meat right away it will have more surface area and “steam” more than brown, which is why we leave it in larger chunks at first. If you don’t want to dirty another pan, you can just cook the ground meats in the first pot, then add the onion and continue the recipe from there. The browned bits of the meat from this step add extra depth to the sauce though!!)

Once meat is cooked and broken up, strain away any liquid or fat, then add the meat into the tomato sauce. Mix until evenly combined.

Leave sauce on low heat for at LEAST 40 minutes, uncovered and stirring occasionally. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a bit of chicken stock or water to loosen. Final texture should be spreadable but not too wet.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil (large enough to fit your lasagna noodles comfortably). Add salt to water.

Prepare a sheet of aluminum foil (or a cleanable surface) and brush lightly with oil. We'll be laying out our noodles here!!

I par-cook my noodles. You CAN just follow your box's instructions, but I like the texture from par-cooking. This means I boil my lasagna noodles for 3-4 minutes, until just partially cooked but still firm. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Strain noodles, and lay them out flat on the prepared surface. Be careful not to break them, but it's not the end of the world if you do!

Gently melt butter over low heat in a saucepan.

When butter is fully melted, add flour and gently whisk until no separate areas of butter or flour remain (don't use a metal whisk on a non-stick pan!).

Let this mixture gently cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. This cooking time removes the raw flour taste/texture and is important.

SLOWLY add milk in SMALL quantities (3-4 batches minimum) and whisk to combine. Allow the flour and butter mixture to absorb and combine with the milk fully before adding more.

THE TEXTURE WILL BE WEIRD IN THE FIRST FEW ADDITIONS, it will get really thick and lumpy before it will begin to thin out!!

When all the milk has been mixed in, you should have a thin white liquid. Allow it to come to a gentle simmer, still whisking constantly and scraping down sides.

The sauce should thicken gradually as it heats up. Remove from heat when it reaches a thick, creamy consistency. If you over-thicken, you can add a bit of milk to thin it out again.

(If your sauce has fully cooled by the time you're assembling the lasagna, you can gently reheat it to get it to a runnier and spoonable consistency)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a large casserole dish. This prevents noodles from sticking to the dish.

Layer noodles, meat sauce, cheeses, and béchamel sauce, then repeat until your dish is full. Top final layer of noodles with thin layer of sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan (no ricotta or béchamel).

Cover tray with aluminum foil, careful not to touch the surface of the lasagna. Bake for about 40-50 minutes, until cheese is melty and sides are bubbly.

Uncover lasagna, turn oven to broil, and place under broiler for a few minutes, until cheese top has lovely brown bits and crispy edges (but not burnt)! This also helps cook off excess moisture from the top of the lasagna. Remove from oven when top reaches desired level of browning.

The hardest step is this one: LET THE LASAGNA REST FOR 20-30 MINUTES. IF YOU CUT IT IMMEDIATELY IT WILL BE TOO GLOOPY AND WILL FALL APART. PLEASE LET IT REST. I PROMISE YOU WILL REGRET CUTTING TOO EARLY.

Garnish with leftover chopped basil, cut, and serve!