Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground beef (80/20 lean-to-fat ratio)
  • 1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 48 oz high-quality marinara sauce
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 8 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 15 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 15 lasagna noodles, boiled until 2 minutes under al dente
  • 4 cups whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

  1. In a large pot, brown the 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb Italian sausage over medium high heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes until deeply browned and slightly crispy. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat into small crumbles. Drain the excess fat — this is crucial to avoid a greasy lasagna.
  2. Stir in the diced yellow onion and cook until translucent. Add the 4 cloves of minced garlic and 1 tsp oregano, sautéing for just 1 minute until the aroma fills the room.
  3. Pour in the 48 oz marinara sauce, reduce heat, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine the 8 oz softened cream cheese, 15 oz ricotta, 1 cup sour cream, and 1/4 cup fresh parsley. Add the beaten egg. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is uniform and silky. This is where the magic happens; you want no large lumps of cream cheese visible.
  5. While the sauce simmers, boil the 15 lasagna noodles in salted water. Remove them 2 minutes before the package says al dente. They should still have a firm bite. Drain and lay them flat on parchment paper so they don't stick together.
  6. Start the assembly by spreading 1 cup of meat sauce on the bottom of the 9x13 pan. Place 5 noodles across the sauce, slightly overlapping. Spread half of the cream cheese mixture over the noodles. Top with 1/3 of the remaining meat sauce and 1 cup of mozzarella.
  7. Repeat the layers: 5 noodles, the rest of the cream cheese mix, another 1/3 of the meat sauce, and 1 cup of mozzarella.
  8. Finish with the final 5 noodles, the remaining meat sauce, the rest of the mozzarella, and the 1 cup of parmesan. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes.
  9. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and has golden brown spots. This is the hardest part, but you must let it rest on the counter for at least 15 minutes before slicing.