Beef Lasagna Recipe, How To Make An Easy 3 Cheese Lasagna
December 12, 2024 Chef Joe
This easy 3-cheese beef lasagna is the ultimate culinary masterpiece of Italian-American comfort food. With the combination of a hearty, wine-soaked meat sauce, layered with a creamy mixture of mozzarella, ricotta, and cottage cheeses, you’ll have a dish with structure and deliciousness combined. Top with a “broil” at the end for the ultimate bubbly, golden-brown crust.
A Short History: Layers of Tradition
Lasana dates back to ancient Rome as layered pasta but was perfected in Naples during the Middle Ages as the modern lasagna that we recognize today. While a bechamel is traditionally used for Italian lasagna, it was the Italian-American influence that revolutionized it with the addition of the rich, cheese sauce combination of ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. Adding cottage cheese is a modern take, allowing for a different texture and added protein, without changing the cheesy appeal.
Health Benefits of this Beef Lasagna
Protein Powerhouse: Containing ground beef and three types of cheeses, this is a fantastic protein-packed meal, essential for muscle maintenance and lasting fullness.
Bone Boosting Trio: Packed with calcium and phosphorus, this lasagna uses three different types of cheese for the ultimate combination for healthy and strong bones and teeth.
Rich Lycopene from Marinara: The tomato-based marinara sauce adds lycopene, an antioxidant that’s crucial for skin protection from sun damage, and for boosting the immune system and heart health.
B12 and Zinc Boost: Ground beef supplies plenty of Vitamin B12 and Zinc for optimal brain function, immune system development, and DNA synthesis.
Sustained Energy from Complex Carbs: The layers of pasta provide slow, sustained release of energy, making it the ultimate fuel-food for the entire family.
Ingredient For Italian Lasagna
| Ground Beef | 1lb (15-20% fat content) | |
| Finely Diced Onion | 1 Small | |
| Garlic Cloves Minced | 2 Large | |
| Red Wine | 1/4 Cup | |
| Olive Oil | 1 Tablespoon | |
| Marinara Sauce | 24 oz (3 Cups) | |
| Sea Salt | 1/2 Teaspoon | |
| Black Pepper Ground | 1/4 Teaspoon | |
| Dried Thyme | 1/4 Teaspoon | |
| Granulated Sugar | 1/2 Teaspoon | |
| Parsley Finely Chopped | 2 Tablespoon | |
| lasagna Noodles | 9 (Cooked al dente) |
Ingredient For Cheese Sauce
| Cottage Cheese | 16 oz (Low fat) | |
| Ricotta Cheese | 15 oz (Reduced fat) | |
| Egg | 1 (Large) | |
| parsley (Fined Chopped) | 2 Tablespoon | |
| Mozzarella Cheese (Shredded, divided) | 4 Cups |
Instructions To Prepare The Lasagna:-
- Place 9 lasagna noodles into a pot of salted water, don’t overcook them because you’ll still bake them so they don’t get too soft
- Drain the noodles then add cold water to stop the cooking process and also halt them from sticking together
- You’ll have to grab a pot and make the meat sauce at a heating temperature of medium high
- Add 1 table spoon of olive oil
- Add 1 pound of ground beef
- And 1 small diced onion
- Stir for 5 minutes until the meat is no longer pink
- Add 2 large minced garlic cloves and cook for another minutes until fragrant
- Then add 1/4 cup of good red wine and stir till it mostly evaporates
- Add 24 oz or 3 cups of marinara sauce
- Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar, 2 tablespoon of parsley fined chopped
- Bring that to a steaming heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes on low heat while you make your cheese sauce
Instructions To Prepare The Cheese Sauce:-
- In a large mixing bowl mix 16 oz low-fat cottahe of cheese, 15 oz of reduced fat ricotta cheese, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, 1 large egg and 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
- Mix properly till it’s well blended
Everything Is Ready, Now We Can Assemble The lasagna
- In a deep 9×13 casserole dish spread half cup of the meat sauce evenly over the bottom and cover that with 3 lasagna noodle
- Add 1/3 of the remain meat sauce and sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese
- fetch 1 spoon full of the cheese sauce and spread evenly and cover with 3 lasagna noodles
- Repeat the process until you have 3 layers of noodles
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit
- Top the top last layer of the noodles with the meat sauce and cover it with 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
- Loosely cover with a large sheet of foil and properly cover the edges too
- bake it in the oven at 375 degrees fahrenheit heat for 45 minutes
- Then remove the foil and set the oven to broil for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown
- Take out the cheese from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes in the pan for it to set and become much more easier to slice
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 6
Calories Per Serving: 3397
% Daily Value
Total Carbohydrate
140.47g
51%
Cholesterol
959mg
320%
Total Fat
144.72g
186%
Saturated Fat
66.708g
334%
Unsaturated Fat
52.25g
Trans Fat
1.698g
Dietary Fiber
22.4g
80%
Protein
382.92g
766%
Sodium
11846mg
515%
Sugars
52.88g
106%
Prep
45 minCook
1 hr 5 min💡 Mistakes & Expert Advice
❄️ Storage & Reheating
How to Store
Fridge: Lasagna is famously better on the second day! Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: You can freeze individual slices or the whole tray for up to 3 months. To freeze, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil.
Best Way to Reheat
The Oven (Best): Reheat a slice at 175°C (350°F) covered with foil for about 15–20 minutes. Adding a teaspoon of water to the dish before covering helps steam the pasta back to life.
The Microwave: Heat in 2-minute intervals. For best results, cut the slice in half to ensure the center gets hot without the edges becoming rubbery.
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