We’ve outlined all the ingredients and directions for you to make the perfect 1-2-3 Lasagna. This dish qualifies as a Intermediate level recipe. It should take you about 2 hr 15 min to make this recipe. The 1-2-3 Lasagna recipe should make enough food for 6 to 8 servings.
You can add your own personal twist to this 1-2-3 Lasagna recipe, depending on your culture or family tradition. Don’t be scared to add other ingredients once you’ve gotten comfortable with the recipe! Please see below for a list of potential cookware items that might be necessary for this 1-2-3 Lasagna recipe.
Ingredients for 1-2-3 Lasagna
- 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 large eggs
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 pound grated Mozzarella
- 5 cups Basic Red Sauce, recipe follows
- 1/2 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 dried (uncooked) lasagna noodles
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Basic Red Sauce:
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (1 medium yellow onion)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves garlic)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
Directions for 1-2-3 Lasagna
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large saucepan, add the ground beef and brown over medium heat. Season with salt, pepper, and Essence. Add the tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl fold together the ricotta cheese, eggs, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 1/2 cup grated mozzarella, the Essence, salt, parsley, basil, and black pepper.
- Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 3-quart (13 by 9 by 2-inch) casserole. Lay 3 lasagna noodles lengthwise down the dish. The noodles should not touch one another. Spoon 3/4 cup of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella evenly over the ricotta. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, for a total of 4 layers of noodles. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella over the top layer of tomato sauce, and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan.
- Cover the casserole tightly with aluminum foil, and bake, covered, for 1 hour.
- Remove the casserole from the oven, and remove the aluminum foil. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
- Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and squeeze to break into small pieces. Set aside.
- In a heavy 5-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, salt, basil, oregano and black pepper, and cook, stirring, until soft, 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, sugar and reserved crushed tomatoes, stir well, and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat, and use as needed.
- Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
- Recipe from “New New Orleans Cooking”, by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.
Cookware for your recipe
You will find below are cookware items that could be needed for this 1-2-3 Lasagna recipe or similar recipes. Feel free to skip to the next item if it doesn’t apply.
- Cooking pots
- Frying pan
- Steamers
- Colander
- Skillet
- Knives
- Cutting board
- Grater
- Saucepan
- Stockpot
- Spatula
- Tongs
- Measuring cups
- Wooden Spoon
Categories in this Recipe
- European Recipes
- Italian
- How to Cook Lasagna
- Pasta Recipes
- Mozzarella Recipes
- Noodles – Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is rolled flat and cut, stretched or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles can be refrigerated for short-term storage or dried and stored for future use.Noodles are usually cooked in boiling water, sometimes with cooking oil or salt added. They are also often pan-fried or deep-fried. Noodle dishes can include a sauce or noodles can be put into soup. The material composition and geocultural origin is specific to each type of a wide variety of noodles. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures (see Chinese noodles, Japanese noodles, Korean noodles, Filipino noodles, Vietnamese noodles, and Italian pasta).
- Tomato – Lycopersicon lycopersicum (L.) H. Karst.Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.The tomato is the edible berry of the plant Solanum lycopersicum, commonly known as a tomato plant. The species originated in western South America and Central America. The Nahuatl word tomatl gave rise to the Spanish word tomate, from which the English word tomato derived. Its domestication and use as a cultivated food may have originated with the indigenous peoples of Mexico. The Aztecs used tomatoes in their cooking at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, and after the Spanish encountered the tomato for the first time after their contact with the Aztecs, they brought the plant to Europe. From there, the tomato was introduced to other parts of the European-colonized world during the 16th century.Tomatoes are a significant source of umami flavor.The tomato is consumed in diverse ways, raw or cooked, in many dishes, sauces, salads, and drinks. While tomatoes are fruits—botanically classified as berries—they are commonly used as a vegetable ingredient or side dish.Numerous varieties of the tomato plant are widely grown in temperate climates across the world, with greenhouses allowing for the production of tomatoes throughout all seasons of the year. Tomato plants typically grow to 1–3 meters (3–10 ft) in height. They are vines that have a weak stem that sprawls and typically needs support. Indeterminate tomato plants are perennials in their native habitat, but are cultivated as annuals. (Determinate, or bush, plants are annuals that stop growing at a certain height and produce a crop all at once.) The size of the tomato varies according to the cultivar, with a range of 1–10 cm (1⁄2–4 in) in width.
- Parmesan Cheese Recipes
- Beef – Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle.In prehistoric times, humans hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since then, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity of their meat. Today, beef is the third most widely consumed meat in the world, after pork and poultry. As of 2018, the United States, Brazil, and China were the largest producers of beef.Beef can be prepared in various ways; cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often ground or minced, as found in most hamburgers. Beef contains protein, iron, and vitamin B12. Along with other kinds of red meat, high consumption is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer and coronary heart disease, especially when processed. Beef has a high environmental impact, being a primary driver of deforestation with the highest greenhouse gas emissions of any agricultural product.
- Ricotta – Ricotta (pronounced in Italian) is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses. Like other whey cheeses, it is made by coagulating the proteins that remain after the casein has been used to make cheese, notably albumin and globulin.Ricotta (literally meaning “recooked”, “refined”) protein can be harvested if the whey is first allowed to become more acidic by additional fermentation (by letting it sit for 12–24 hours at room temperature). Then the acidified whey is heated to near boiling. The combination of low pH and high temperature denatures the protein and causes it to flocculate, forming a fine curd. Once cooled, it is separated by passing the liquid through a fine cloth, leaving the curd behind.Ricotta curds are creamy white in appearance, and slightly sweet in taste. The fat content changes depending on the milk used. In this form, it is somewhat similar in texture to some cottage cheese variants, though considerably lighter. It is highly perishable. However, ricotta also is made in aged varieties which are preservable for much longer.
