The Ultimate Lasagna

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Show: Tyler's UltimateEpisode: Ultimate Lasagna

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (242)

Cook Time:
1 hr 30 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
8 servings

Times:

Prep: 20 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 1 hr 30 min
Total:: 1 hr 50 min

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Ingredients

2 pound dried lasagna noodles
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground beef
2 pound ground Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped oregano leaves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups red wine
2 (28-ounce) cans tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 quarts ricotta cheese, (2 containers)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
Grated Parmesan and mozzarella, for topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook the lasagna noodles in plenty of boiling salted water until pliable and barely tender, about 10 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Drain the noodles thoroughly and coat with olive oil to keep them moist and easy to work with.

Coat a large skillet with olive oil, add beef and sausage and brown until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. In a food processor, combine the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, basil, parsley, an oregano. Process until pureed, add to the pan with the ground meat and stir to combine. Stir in the flour. Add the wine and cook until it has reduced by half. Stir in the tomatoes and add the heavy cream and the cinnamon.

In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta and the parmesan. Stir in the eggs and season with salt and pepper.

To assemble the lasagna: Coat the bottom of a deep 13 by 9-inch pan with olive oil. Arrange 4 noodles lengthwise in a slightly overlapping layer on the sauce. Then, line each end of the pan with a lasagna noodle. This forms a collar that holds in the corners. Dollop 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the pasta, spread to the edges with a spatula. Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture over the ricotta. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella on top of the ricotta. Top with a ladle full of sauce, spread evenly. Repeat with the next layer of noodles, ricotta, sauce, and cheeses. Top last layer with noodles, sauce, shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Tap the pan to force out air bubbles. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven. Let lasagna rest for 30 minutes so the noodles will settle and cut easily. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe The Ultimate Lasagna
Camilo Birmingham, AL 02-09-2010
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DEFINITELY THE "ULTIMATE"
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is a superb lasagna recipe. I made it for the Super Bowl and my family loved it! Yes, the proportions are such that I... ended up with one 9 x 13 and a smaller one. I also used some of the extra meat/sauce as appetizer over polenta crostinis (Chiarello's Recipe): They went nuts over these! I also suggest to reduce the amount of cinnamon and make sure you use peeled tomatoes (the recipe does not specify).Read more
recipe The Ultimate Lasagna
Carol Mankato, MN 02-08-2010
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A Big Hit
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Yes, the recipe makes more than will fit into a 9x13 pan. So, make one large and one smaller version and freeze. I did use... half the amount of cinnamon, but otherwise, followed the recipe. My husband and I thought it was one of the best lasagnas we have ever eatten. Read more
recipe The Ultimate Lasagna
Driss malden, MA 02-06-2010
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Cut the proportions by half and you are all set!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I can understand how some of the folks were frustrated with this recipe. If you do not know how to cook, you should never try... any of Tyler's recipes. There are very often discrepancies between the printed recipes and the taped shows (as with any other cooking shows). If you know some cooking basics, you should be able to realize when the proportions are "disproportionates", fix it and move on. This is one of the best lasagnas I have ever fixed. I agree that the cinnamon taste was a bit strong and will definitely reduce the amount next time. With the baking dishes I have, 4 layers (first one in the bottom with no sauce as Tyler suggested-makes a world of a difference) and the top one with no ricotta cheese (as another reviewer suggested), but with meat sauce topped Parmesan/mozzarella cheese. As some other reviewer suggested, this is no ordinary lasagna, this is the ULTIMATE! Keep those recipes coming Tyler.Read more
recipe The Ultimate Lasagna
Antonio Boston, MA 02-06-2010
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Just terrible!
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

The furthest thing you can have from a good Lasagna. All you need is beef, tomato sauce, celeri, carrot and onions for the... sauce. The next layer should be besciamella. Nothing but milk, butter, wheat (and a bit of nutmeg). The rest is just bad taste.Read more
recipe The Ultimate Lasagna
Maura Silver Spring, MD 02-03-2010
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Worst Lasagna I've Ever Tasted
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

If you're looking for an "ultimate" recipie for traditional lasagna, stay far away from this one. The small amount of... cinnamon made a hugely terrible impact. The measurements are way off for a 9x13 inch pan - I was able to make 2 lasagnas using this recipie. Too bad I wound up throwing 75% of what I made away b/c no one in my house would eat it. Dry, odd aftertaste, too much pasta, not enough sauce. Definitely not worth your time and effort.Read more
recipe The Ultimate Lasagna
Beverly Toledo, OH 02-02-2010
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It was the best lasagna yet!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This tasted so good. I made a 13x9 cake pan and we (Husand and I) ate it for 4 days. However, I read the review of it not... fitting in a 13x9, but I only used 1 pound each of burger and Italian sausage. i also used a 6 cup package of mozzarella and altered that with the ricotta. It made it very tasty. That was the first time I made my sauce from scratch. Loved it and I will make it again! Read more