Merry everything! Let’s eat! Christmas Lasagna is the perfect answer to feeding your big, hungry, merry revelers and carolers! Lasagna noodles are generously layered with succulent ground beef and Italian sausage slices, plus all the ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses you could imagine for an exceptionally festive pasta experience. Invite everyone over for Christmas Lasagna and they will be singing with glee. Merry Christmas (and Happy Holidays!) to all, and to all a good night!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces lean ground beef
- 8 ounces Italian sausage
- 1 1/2 cups water, divided
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 cup parmesan or Romano cheese, grated
- 26 ounces pasta sauce
- 12 no-boil oven-ready lasagna noodles
- 16 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced, or 4 cups mozzarella, shredded
- fresh basil leaves, optional, to taste, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 3 –Grease one side of a sheet of aluminum foil that will cover the top of the prepared baking dish.
Step 4 –In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and cook, while crumbling, until the beef is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 5 –Drain the excess grease from the skillet and set the beef aside.
Step 6 –In a large saucepan over high heat, add the Italian sausage and 1/2 cup of the water and bring it to a boil.
Step 7 –Cover the saucepan and reduce the stovetop heat to medium-low, allowing the sausage to simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Step 8 –Drain the Italian sausage and let it cool slightly.
Step 9 –On a cutting board with a sharp knife, slice the sausage into 1/8-1/4-inch slices. Set it aside.
Step 10 –In a medium bowl, add the ricotta, the parsley, the oregano, and the parmesan cheese and mix to combine.
Step 11 –In a large bowl, add the pasta sauce, the remaining water, and the cooked ground beef and mix to combine.
Step 12 –Add 1 1/2 cups of the sauce mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Step 13 –Evenly lay 3 lasagna noodles across the sauce mixture layer in the baking dish.
Step 14 –Evenly spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodle layer and evenly spread 1/4 of the mozzarella over the ricotta mixture layer.
Step 15 –Evenly add 1/3 of the sausage slices over the top of the mozzarella cheese layer.
Step 16 –Evenly drizzle 1/4 of the remaining sauce mixture over the sausage slice layer and repeat the layers two more times.
Step 17 –Add the remaining 3 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce mixture layer and evenly spread the remaining sauce mixture over the noodles.
Step 18 –Evenly sprinkle the top with the extra shredded mozzarella.
Step 19 –Add the prepared sheet of aluminum foil, greased-side down, to the top of the lasagna mixture.
Step 20 –Bake until heated through and the cheese is melty, about 55-60 minutes.
Step 21 –Transfer the lasagna mixture from the oven to a wire rack, remove the aluminum foil, and with a knife, test the noodles for doneness. If the noodles are soft, replace the aluminum foil cover and let it stand on the wire rack, about 10 minutes. If the noodles are still undercooked, replace the aluminum foil cover back on the lasagna and transfer back to the oven and bake until al dente, about 10 minutes. Make sure to rest the lasagna when the noodles are cooked through.
Step 22 –Garnish with the fresh basil, plate, and serve.
