Lasagna (Classic Easy)

Lasagna gets a bad rap for being a labour-intensive dish, but with a few shortcuts, like starting with store-bought lasagna sheets, you can make a great version any night of the week.

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
2 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
¼ cup tomato paste
2 (28 oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes, puréed
1 Tbsp. sugar
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
3 Tbsp. butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 cups milk
3 cups ricotta cheese or cottage cheese, puréed
2½ cups mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
1 lb lasagna sheets
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Heat olive oil in an 8 qt saucepan over medium-high. Add the garlic and onions and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add the beef and pork and cook until browned, 6-8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes longer. Add the tomatoes and sugar and simmer until thick, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Melt the butter over medium-high. Add the flour and cook 2 minutes. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until sauce is the consistency of thick cream, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly, then combine with the ricotta, half the mozzarella, salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add lasagna sheets and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, then toss gently with olive oil.

Preheat an oven to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5). Drizzle some oil in the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish.

Lay three sheets of lasagna on the bottom of the baking dish. Spread 1 cup of béchamel evenly over pasta and 2 cups of meat sauce. Top with 3 more sheets of pasta and continue layering with béchamel and meat sauce. Once you get to the final layer, top with remaining 1 cup of meat sauce and mozzarella cheese, plus the parmesan.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove foil and change oven to broil. Cook lasagna another 5 minutes and remove from oven.

Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6-8 servings.