Four Cheese Lasagna Recipe

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homemade lasagna recipe
homemade lasagna recipe

I’m all about that lasagna life.

This weekend I was SUPPOSED to be getting married but the world had different plans. So what better way to keep my mind occupied than to make a delicious lasagna?

There’s no better way to drown your woes than with extra cheese!

Of course, I couldn’t resist sneaking in a bit of cooking, it is how I relax after all – and luckily for me, even though the ingredient list for this recipe is LONG AF, the recipe itself comes together quickly.

Plus most of the ingredients can be found in your fridge or pantry already, there’s little need to go to the store for a bunch of special ingredients, especially if you’ve been stress cooking over the last serveral weeks like I have!

It can even be made ahead of time and baked later, which truly was the secret for me to pump out a whole dang lasagna on my freakin’ supposed-to-be-wedding weekend!

So instead of sitting around imagining what would have been, we sat around smelling this delicious lasagna cook while making our own homemade garlic bread as a side.

Stuffed with four different cheese and layered mile high, this lasagna is better than your basic dish.

Serve your lasagna with your favorite garlic bread and a side salad if you feel fancy!

homemade lasagna recipe

Four Cheese Lasagna Recipe

The Starving Chef
Stuffed with four different cheese and layered mile high, this lasagna is better than your basic dish.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Resting Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian, Pasta
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

FOR SAUCE:

  • 24 oz 96% lean ground beef
  • 8 oz tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 30 oz diced tomato
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 1 tablespoon pesto
  • ½ cup sweet onion diced
  • 3 tablespoons garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • ½ tablespoon rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

FOR CHEESE LAYERS:

  • ½ cup mascarpone cheese
  • ½ cup small curd cottage cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoon fresh parsley + more for topping
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup mozzrella shredded + more for topping
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese + more for topping
  • 1 teaspoon pesto
  • 16 oz mozzarella ball sliced

Instructions
 

  • Brown the ground beef in a skillet until no longer pink. Remove from the skillet and wipe the skillet clean.
  • Heat the butter over medium high heat until frothy. Saute the diced tomatoes, capers, pesto, onion, garlic and tomato paste until most of the moisture has cooked off, about 10 minutes.
  • Return the cooked ground beef to the skillet and pour in the tomato sauce. Bring to a rolling simmer. Add the fresh herbs and reduce the temp to medium and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • While the meat sauce is cooking, boil the lasagna noodles according to the instructions on the box. You will need about 20 noodles to make 4 layers in a 9×9 dish.
  • As the lasagna noodles are cooking, combine the mascarpone, cottage cheese, egg, pesto, parsley, apple cider vinegar, half of the shredded mozzarella and half of the parmesan cheeses.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9×9 dish with cooking oil spray. Start with a layer of noodles then spread about a half cup of the meat sauce on top of the noodles. Arrange a second layer of noodles on top of the meat sauce then arrange the slices of mozzarella on top of the noodles. Then layer more noodles on top.
  • Spread about a half cup of the cheese filling on top of the noodles. Then more noodles and a layer of meat sauce. Repeat this process until all noodles and filling has been used up. Spread the remaining shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top.
  • At this point, you can cover and chill the lasagna for up to 3 days prior to cooking. Be sure to bring it back to room temperature before cooking so that it heats evenly all the way through.
  • Cover the lasagna with foil and bake for one hour.
  • Remove the foil and continue cooking for another 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted and just starting to bubble. Remove from the oven.
  • Cover the lasagna with foil and rest for 15 minutes. This will help the lasagna set and be easier to cut.
  • Serve topped with cheese and a side of garlic bread, as desired. Add a final sprinkle of parsley for a pop of color. Enjoy!
Keyword cheese, lasagna, mozzarella, sauce
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