So once upon a time, my husband and I lived close to my awesome brother-in-law Peter and his equally cool wife Stephanie. Peter lived in Italy for a couple of years and while he was there, he learned to make fabulous lasagna. Like real Italian lasagna. Now granted, I’ve been about as far out of the country as Disney Cruise Line takes you on a four-night journey, so I’m taking Peter’s word for it here. But I can say that it tastes just like the lasagna I’ve had in little, homey Italian cafes–you know, those ones where you feel like you’re sitting in your Grandma’s kitchen. So take that for what it’s worth.
you could try grating them or tossing them in your food processor and letting Ms. Cuisinart do all the hard work. That way, you’ll still get the hearty flavor and nutrients of the vegetables, but no one really has to know.
In a large saucepan or skillet with a lid, brown ground beef (or sausage), onions, and garlic until meat is cooked and onions are tender. Now…about the veggies…some men (and I’m sure some ladies) might balk at the idea of vegetables in their Man Food. If you’re not a fan of chunky vegetables in your lasagna, you could try grating them or tossing them in your food processor and letting Ms. Cuisinart do all the hard work. That way, you’ll still get the hearty flavor and nutrients of the vegetables, but no one really has to know.
Questions & Reviews
My daughter and her cousins got into quite a debate about whether my spaghetti or my lasagna was best. I did not have the heart to tell them it’s the same sauce (and technically it’s Peter’s). Needless to say, we love this recipe!
I can’t rate this recipe but if I could it would get 5 stars! So yummy! I like that it is thick and not overly spiced and very easy to make. I made the lasagna and had extra sauce leftover (was I supposed to?) and just wanted to drink it all but instead I sat with a spoon and ate too much of it. Can’t wait to eat the lasagna. Thanks for another great recipe.
I love LOVE this lasagna and wanted to cook this deliciousness for Christmas dinner. However, with the hustle and bustle of Christmas I was hoping there was a trick to “make ahead” the night before and bake in the oven minutes before my guests arrive. Any tips?
I love LOVE this lasagna and would like to make this for Christmas dinner. However, Christmas itself is crazy and was hoping there was a way to “make ahead” and store in the fridge the night before…any tips?
We love this recipe and make it all the time. Do you think I could can this recipe? I’d love to be able to go to the pantry and just open up a bottle.
I’m SURE you could, but I am definitely not a canning expert, especially when it comes to meats. Do you know someone who might know? If not, I can see if I can track someone down for you. :)I
I made this with pasta and the ooey gooey peanut better brownies for dessert for a family dinner the other night and both went over extremely well…especially considering I have two very picky eaters for uncles! Topping it all off I sent them home with your peppermint bark popcorn. It was a win, win, win!
I’m going to be try to be really adventurous and make my noodles from scratch!
This is the best sauce ever! I’m obsessed with it!
I saw this recipe in my “Our Best Bites” cookbook, but I’m not sure what to do with the Bechamel Sauce. It tells how to make it in the book, but the instructions for the recipe never say when to use it, at least that I can tell. Hope you can help me!
We are going to the beach in a couple of weeks. And I want to bring lasagna as dinner one night and I don’t want to be stuck cooking something as time consuming as lasagna the days I am also trying to pack 3 kids and 2 adults (because apparently, as my husband has proven time and again, he is a terrible packer!). Short question, longer…can I make either the whole thing and freeze it or make the sauce ahead of time and freeze it? I love lasagna and have been on a diet so I’m craving carbs- diet will go on hiatus at the beach!
Yep, lasagna freezes really well. The sauce does too- enjoy the beach!
mmmm…mmmm…mmmm! It’s in the oven right now! I had a scoop of sauce left over after putting it together…um…and I ate it all up right then and there, all by its self! Can’t wait to eat more!!!
This is the BEST lasagna sauce I have ever made. We ate at an amazing little family owned Italian restaurant in San Francisco years ago. We were a bit lost when we went there, and we’ve never found it again. This fulfilled my craving to go back! 🙂
Does the 4 oz. of fresh Parmesan mean 1/2 c. or does the it refer to actual weight of the shredded Parmesan?
The actual weight. 🙂 It will translate into roughly 1 cup, but even that depends on how it’s grated.
Thank you! We love this lasagne.
No-boil noodles? Does it say that on the box? I have made lasagna before without boiling the noodles first,is that what you mean?
Can you make these with fresh tomatoes? I have a lot in my garden and want to use them up? If so, how many do you think it would take?
I’m sure you could, I just don’t know how you’d go about doing it. Keep in mind that the recipe calls for the Italian style tomatoes, so you’d need to get the extra garlic, basil, and oregano in there somewhere, and they’ve also been cooked down. Maybe if you can find a good recipe for canned Italian tomatoes and then go from there? That’s probably my best recommendation. I’m sorry I don’t have more answers! 🙁