Meaty Lasagne
Ingredients
- Salt
- 1 pound dried lasagne noodles
- 4 cups Meaty Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Put at least 5 quarts of water in a stockpot, bring it to a boil, and salt it.
- When the water comes to a boil, add the noodles one at a time and cook, stirring frequently and, to the point where they just become pliable but are still underdone, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Drain the noodles in a colander, then lay them flat on paper towels or clean dish towels.
- Heat the oven to 400 F.
- Taste the sauce and make sure it has enough salt and pepper.
- Smear the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with the oil and one-quarter of the meat sauce, then put in a layer of noodles, touching but not overlapping, trimming them as necessary.
- Dot half of the ricotta over the noodles, then smear with another quarter of the meat sauce.
- Top with one-third of the mozzarella, one-third of the Parmesan, and a grinding of black pepper.
- Repeat for one more layer; for the third layer, smear meat sauce directly on the noodles and end with the Parmesan.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the lasagne is bubbly and hot in the center.
- Remove the dish from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.