Imagine the earthy aroma of mushrooms sautéing on the stove with fresh onion. The sizzle of fresh ground beef browning in a large pot over the stove. Just a bit later the rich fragrance of sun ripened tomatoes simmering into a delectable sauce. Hints of oregano and basil carried on a breeze waft to your nostrils. Imagine this tantalizing aroma and you have imagined an authentic Italian kitchen as an Italian Lasagna meal is prepared. Rich, aromatic and simply stated; perfect.
Fresh baked beef Lasagna is a meal that will satisfy the most ferocious of appetites. Hearty beef and creamy cheese infused with aromatic spices and earthy mushrooms. This meal easily serves six to eight hungry people. It is easy to make and requires just a few simple steps to make a wonderful meal.
To make the best baked beef Lasagna always use the freshest ingredients. This enhances the flavor of this easy Italian Lasagna meal enormously.
Easy Italian Lasagna Meal
Summary:
Boast beef as well as Italian sausage, this is a lovely, meaty lasagna. Vegetables, herbs, cheese, and other seasonings work in harmony to bring you a fantastic flavor.
Author:
Christine Szalay-Kudra
Cuisine:
Italian
Recipe type:
Lasagna
Serves:
8
Prep time:
20 mins
Cook time:
1 hour
Total time:
1 hour 20 mins
Ingredients
1 lb. Of Fresh ground beef
½ lb. Of fresh Italian sausage
2 ½ tbs Olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper chopped
½ tsp. Minced garlic
2 – cans tomato paste
1 can diced Italian tomatoes
2 eggs
? cup water
2 tsp. Dried basil
2 tsp. Oregano
1 tbs freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. Salt
2 bay leaves
1 box Lasagna noodles (uncooked)
½ tbs olive oil
½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
½ cup Mozzarella cheese (grated)
½ cup Ricotta
Instructions
Remove outer casing on Italian sausage.
Crumble sausage in skillet.
Add fresh ground beef.
Brown meat and sausage in skillet.
Break up meat in skillet as it cooks.
Drain grease from meat and place meat in separate bowl.
Now heat olive oil in same skillet and add peppers, onion, and garlic.
Sauté until vegetables are tender.
Now add meat, tomato paste, Italian tomatoes, water, oregano, salt, pepper, basil, and bay leaf.
Bring to a gentle boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer about an hour to allow flavors to mingle.
Mixture will have thickened a bit.
Now blend the Ricotta, egg, and Parmesan in a bowl.
Prepare a 13 x 9 x2 Lasagna pan by spraying lightly with cooking spray.
Arrange three uncooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of the pan.
Spread a light layer of Ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles.
Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese.
Now spread with a generous layer of tomato meat sauce.
Repeat layers in the same order.
Sprinkle the top of the lasagna with the remaining Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese.
Baked the Lasagna in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 50 minutes.
Cheese should be a lovely golden brown.
Remove from oven and let stand for about 15 minutes before serving.
Photo Description:
Serve this Italian Lasagna meal with crunchy garlic bread for Italian cuisine perfection. A chilled glass of red Merlot or Cabernet is the perfect choice for this meal. Follow this beautiful Italian Lasagna meal with a decadent Tiramisu cake, the crown Jewel of Italian deserts. This heavenly desert is a perfect finish, paired with a sweet Cyprus Wine or a delicious espresso. This easy Italian Lasagna meal is the perfect choice for entertaining guests. The tantalizing flavors of this meal followed by the perfect desert choice will have guests in awe of your culinary skills.
