Lasagna with Meatballs

By norsegal8

The assembled lasagna can be wrapped with plastic and refrigerated overnight or wrapped in plastic and covered with aluminum foil and frozen for up to 1 month. If refrigerated, allow an extra 5 to 10 minutes cooking time.

Ingredients

• Herbed Meatballs
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup minced fresh basil leaves, or minced parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano (2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• Simple Tomato Sauce
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves or minced parsley leaves
• Salt and ground black pepper
• Noodles and Cheese
• 1 tablespoon table salt
• 1 pound lasagna noodles (18 noodles)
• 1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (4 ounces), or grated Pecorino Romano

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

1. For the meatballs: Mix beef, eggs, basil, cheese, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper in medium bowl until well blended. Heat about 1/4 inch of olive oil in large skillet. Take a handful of meat mixture and working directly over skillet, pinch off pieces no larger than a small grape, and flatten them slightly. Cooking in batches to avoid overcrowding, carefully drop them into hot oil, (see illustration below). Fry turning once, until evenly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to tranfer meataballs to a paper towel on a platter.

2. For the sauce: Heat oil and garlic in medium saucepan over medium heat. When garlic starts to sizzle, add tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper to taste. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Add meatballs to tomato sauce anad heat through for several minutes; adjust seasonings. Keep sauce warm while preparing remaining ingredients. (Sauce can be covered and refrigerated for 2 days; reheat before assembly.)

4. Meanwhile, bring 6 quarts of water to boil in dutch oven. Add salt and at least 18 sheets of lasagna noodles and cook to al dente. Drain and then soak finished noodles in a bowl of ice water for 30 seconds. Drain again and lay the noodles out on kitchen towels for 1 hour.

5. Grease a 13-by-9-inch pan with cooking spray. Smear several tablespoons of tomato sauce (without meatballs) across pan bottom. Line pan with a layer of pasta, making sure that noodles touch but do not overlap. Spread 3/4 cup tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle evenly with 2/3 cup mozzarella and 2 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan. Repeat layering of pasta, tomato sauce and meatballs and cheeses four more times. For the sixth and final layer, cover pasta with remaining 1 cup mozzarella and sprinkle with remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan. (Assembled lasagna can now be wrapped with plastic and refrigerated overnight or wrapped in plastic and aluminum foil and frozen for up to 1 month.)

6. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake until cheese on top turns golden brown in spots and sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes (25 to 35 minutes with chilled lasagna). Remove pan from oven and let lasagna rest 5 minutes. Cut and serve. (To cook frozen lasagna, move the lasagna to the refrigerator at least twelve hours before baking. Allow it to defrost slowly, and then transfer it directly, unwrapped, to a preheated oven.)