The BEST Lasagna! — What It Means to Feed the People Who Have Become Yours

February 2020. I have been at UAB for more than a year now and the city has become mine in the way cities become yours: the shortcuts and the spots and the people. I know the library desk worker who always brings her lunch and eats while she works. I know the cafe near the research building where the coffee is strong and the owner keeps classical music going all morning. I know which campus parking lot has the fewest squirrels guarding it.

The research project published its preliminary findings this month. My name is on it, second author on a paper in a peer-reviewed journal. I have held the PDF of the paper open on my laptop several times this week just to look at the author line. Savannah Clarke. University of Alabama at Birmingham. Second author. I exist in an academic database now. That is a thing I did not have at fourteen.

Made shepherd pie this week, the real kind with ground lamb and vegetables under a mashed potato crust. I browned the lamb with onion and carrot and garlic, added broth and Worcestershire and thyme, cooked it down until thick, then topped with mashed potatoes and baked until the top was golden and the edges bubbled. Priya said: you have never made this before? I said first time. She said: when are you going to start making average food. I said I do not know what that means. She laughed. I brought a portion to Sunday and James said: what is this. I said shepherd pie. He said: is this English? I said more or less. He said: it is very good for something English.

Shepherd pie was that week’s dish, but lasagna is the one I keep coming back to when I want to feed people the way that week made me want to feed people — slowly, in layers, with something that holds together and stays warm. Getting my name on that paper made me want to cook something that required patience and intention, something you build piece by piece and then slide into the oven and wait on. Lasagna is that dish for me. It rewards the effort in exactly the right way, and it disappears fast when the right people are sitting at the table.

The BEST Lasagna!

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 1 hr | Total Time: 1 hr 30 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 12 lasagna noodles
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

1. Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions until al dente. Drain, drizzle lightly with olive oil, and lay flat on a baking sheet to prevent sticking.
2. Brown the meat. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and sausage, breaking up with a spoon, and cook until no pink remains, about 8–10 minutes. Drain excess fat.
3. Build the sauce. Add onion to the meat and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in tomato paste, then add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
4. Make the ricotta filling. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, parsley, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until smooth and well combined.
5. Preheat and prep. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
6. Layer the lasagna. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce across the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of 3–4 noodles. Spread half the ricotta mixture over the noodles, then top with 1 cup mozzarella and another cup of meat sauce. Repeat the layers once more. Finish with a final layer of noodles, the remaining meat sauce, remaining mozzarella, and remaining Parmesan.
7. Bake covered. Cover tightly with foil (tent it slightly so it doesn’t stick to the cheese) and bake for 35 minutes.
8. Bake uncovered. Remove foil and bake an additional 20–25 minutes, until cheese is golden and bubbly and the edges are caramelized.
9. Rest before serving. Let the lasagna rest at least 15 minutes before cutting. This helps the layers hold together cleanly when sliced.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 580 | Protein: 36g | Fat: 28g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 820mg