Photo: Beef and Bechamel Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
Meat Sauce Layer:
- 1 slice bacon, chopped
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, gratedKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/ 2 pound ground beef
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 (20-ounce) jar prepared marinara sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Bechamel Layer:
- 4 cups milk
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cottage Cheese Layer:
- 2 cups (4 percent milkfat) cottage cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable cooking spray
- 9 sheets boil-free lasagna noodles
- 3 cups total grated mozzarella and Cheddar (according to preference)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
For the meat sauce: In a large saucepan or small Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until nearly crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and carrots, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, another 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the ground beef and cook until the beef is no longer pink, 6 to 7 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine and add the marinara sauce and cinnamon. Fill the jar one-quarter full with water, swish it around to pick up any sauce left behind, and add it to the pot. Remove from the heat and set aside.
For the bechamel sauce: Heat the milk in the microwave for 2 minutes. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, and then whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the warm milk and cook until thickened, whisking frequently, about 10 minutes. Add the nutmeg, garlic, salt, and pepper and set aside.
For the cottage cheese layer: In a blender or food processor, add the cottage cheese, egg, and Parmesan, and pulse until the cottage cheese curds are small (the mixture will resemble ricotta). Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
To assemble: Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/4 cup water plus 1/4 cup meat sauce in the bottom of the pan. Lay 3 noodles crossways in the pan. Divide the cottage cheese mixture in half. Divide the remaining meat sauce in thirds. Divide the grated cheese into fourths. Divide the bechamel into thirds. Add the layers in the following order: cottage cheese, meat sauce, grated cheese, and bechamel. Then, add another layer of noodles, cottage cheese, meat sauce, grated cheese, and bechamel. Finally, add the remaining 3 noodles, meat sauce, grated cheese, and bechamel. Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray and cover the lasagna tightly. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and top with the remaining grated cheese and cook an additional 10 minutes, or until the lasagna is bubbling. Allow the lasagna to rest 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
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By twilighttina_12...
Fresno, 43
on January 28, 2013
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I love this Recipe! I tried it out on my parents, husband, son and siblings. They all flipped out. I have always made my own authentic lasagna. My entire family has always loved my recipe but this one is a keeper. I made a few changes. I didn't use bacon or ground beef. I used sweet Italian sausage. I almost didn't add the wine or cinnamon but they made the sauce incredible. I only used a pinch of the cinnamon, which a lot of other reviewers recommend to do. I also used regular boil noodles. I didn't add any extra water either. The flavors in this lasagna were very rich and satisfying. I'm so glad I tried it.
By ssscjohnson_7904613
Okemos, MI
on January 13, 2013
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This is my go to recipe for lasagna! I absolutely love it! I also did not add the additional water and I omitted the cinnamon, which I feel is a little too strong for me. I did use a full 1lb of ground beef and an additional slice of bacon. I grew up in an Italian family, and this lasagna recipe hands down beats the recipe that I grew up with!
By bobonsharo_12746311
Arroyo Grande, 43
on September 19, 2012
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This recipe was fantastic! With the first bite, I went "hmm, don't know about this", but with each bite after that it was just yummy! The cinnamon in the meat sauce added an interesting side seasoning you don't expect. This will definitely be a keeper! Think I added too much cinnamon, too, so will reduce it next time, but I will make this again! Labor intensive, but isn't that difficult. I normally don't like lasagna that much, but I loved this one! Just the right amount of meat for me.
Read all 45 reviews