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5.0 from 147 votes

Ultimate Meat Lasagna

Ultimate Meat Lasagna with four cheeses, homemade marinara and a few chef tricks tastes like it's from your favorite Italian restaurant.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 12 Servings
Calories: 562 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 6 cups marinara sauce
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 box lasagna noodles , (flat no boil noodles)
  • 16 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 pound Provolone cheese , sliced
  • 1/2 pound mozzarella cheese , sliced
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a large pot, brown the beef in one large piece until it is browned on the bottom, 2-3 minutes, breaking apart the beef into slightly larger chunks.
  3. Cook until the beef is browned and add in the basil, oregano, 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, crushed red pepper flakes and fennel seeds.
  4. Stir until you start to smell the fennel seeds starting to toast then drain the fat. Add the marinara sauce and stir to combine.
  5. In your ricotta container, if you have space, add the egg and 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and mix well. (If you don't have room, use a small bowl)
  6. Add your no boil noodles to the meat sauce (you are not looking to cook them, just coat them in the sauce to ensure they don't get dry in the oven).
  7. Spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan (use one with straight sides for easy assembly and for added height. If you are using a glass baking pan with curved sides it may not be large enough to fit this quantity).
  8. Add the dried no boil noodles in an even layer, for this pan it was 5 noodles per layer, four across and one broken in half lengthwise to go down the side of the pan.
  9. Add 1/3 of the provolone slices, and spread 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce over them. Sprinkle 1/4 of the mozzarella and 1/4 of the parmesan then add 1/3 of the ricotta in spoonfuls dotting across the pan.
  10. Repeat with the same noodle/cheese/meat sauce process in layers. You should have 3 layers of filling.
  11. Finally, add a top layer of lasagna noodles and cover with remaining Parmesan and mozzarella. Cover with foil.
  12. Bake for 40 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional ten minutes to brown the cheese.
  13. Let cool for 20-25 minutes before serving.
  14. Garnish with parsley.

Nutrition Information

Calories 562kcal (28%) Carbohydrates 38g (13%) Protein 37g (74%) Fat 29g (45%) Saturated Fat 15g (75%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 10g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 120mg (40%) Sodium 1558mg (65%) Potassium 790mg (23%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 1222IU (24%) Vitamin C 10mg (11%) Calcium 441mg (44%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 562

% Daily Value*

Calories 562kcal 28%
Carbohydrates 38g 13%
Protein 37g 74%
Fat 29g 45%
Saturated Fat 15g 75%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 10g 50%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 120mg 40%
Sodium 1558mg 65%
Potassium 790mg 17%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 1222IU 24%
Vitamin C 10mg 11%
Calcium 441mg 44%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.