- Though béchamel is typical of northern Italian lasagna, this recipe instead combines seasoned ricotta with egg and nutmeg to streamline preparation.
- Ground beef is browned with onion, garlic, and olive oil, then partnered with marinara sauce, balsamic vinegar, and oregano to create a fast and flavorful meaty layer.
- Assembled in an 8-inch square dish, the lasagna stacks noodles with ricotta, sauce, and cheeses; it’s baked at a high 425°F and then broiled until bubbly and browned on top.
We don’t tend to think of freshly baked lasagna as a weeknight-friendly affair, but this recipe makes relatively quick work of assembling the classic Italian pasta casserole. There’s no need to cook any kind of sauce here — egg-enriched ricotta stands in for the béchamel, and store-bought marinara is bolstered with a bit of balsamic and oregano once it’s added to the fast-cooking ground beef to produce those rich, meaty layers. It’s all baked in an 8-inch square pan, a perfectly manageable size that can easily feed three or four people.
Fresh vs. processed mozzarella
Fresh mozzarella is creamy and mild with a soft, delicate texture. Compared to processed mozzarella — aka low-moisture block mozzarella — it has a high water content; in fact, it’s often sold packed in water or whey. Processed mozzarella is aged longer, so it has a stronger, saltier flavor; its low moisture content means it’s dense and firm. When melted, processed mozzarella is gooey, stretchy, and consistent, whereas fresh can easily become soupy or rubbery.
Since this recipe calls for fresh mozzarella, you’ll want to first drain and blot it of excess moisture, then distribute it in small pieces over the top of the lasagna, since large clumps may pool as they melt.
Note from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Be sure to let the lasagna rest once it’s finished baking, at least five minutes but preferably 10 to 15 minutes. This allows the layers to set and makes it easier to slice without falling apart.
