Ultimate Lasagna Recipe with Creamy Ricotta Bechamel Sauce

Ingredients

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

Instructions

1. Prepare meat sauce: In a large Dutch oven, heat over medium-high heat. Add ground sirloin and sausage; cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, approximately 8 minutes. Drain any excess fat and set aside.
2. Add olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add onion and salt; cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and saute until fragrant, around 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, black pepper, and crushed red pepper; stir well to combine. Stir in the cooked meat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in fresh basil and parsley.
3. While the sauce simmers, prepare the bechamel sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes. Gradually 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 heat and whisk in ricotta cheese until smooth. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until al dente, approximately 8 minutes. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
6. Spread 1/2 cup of meat sauce evenly over the bottom of the prepared dish. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spoon 1/3 of the remaining meat sauce over the noodles. Add 1/2 of the bechamel sauce, then sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella and 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese. Repeat these layers once more. Top with the remaining 4 noodles, remaining meat sauce, and remaining mozzarella cheese.
7. Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top is golden brown and bubbly, an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish with additional fresh basil leaves.

Nutrition

• Calories: 507 kcal
• Fat Content: 25 g
• Fiber Content: 3 g
• Sugar Content: 5 g
• Sodium Content: 1061 mg
• Protein Content: 31 g
• Cholesterol Content: 80 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 41 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 13 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g