Famous Lasagna
Description
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 16 lasagna noodles (about 12 ounces, or enough for 4 layers in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish)
- 2 containers (15 ounces each) part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
- 1 large egg
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for coating
- Basic Meat Sauce
- 1 pound part-skim mozzarella, coarsely grated (4 cups)
- 4 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (1 cup)
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Generously salt water; add noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Lay noodles on a baking sheet, separating layers with parchment or waxed paper.
- Step 2
In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, parsley, and egg. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Step 3
Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Begin layering: Place 4 noodles in dish, slightly overlapping. Top with half the meat sauce and 4 more noodles. Top with half the ricotta filling, then half the mozzarella. Repeat the layering process, ending with the mozzarella. Sprinkle top with Parmesan.
- Step 4
Cover with lightly oiled foil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet; bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake until bubbling and browned, 30 to 40 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.