Ingredients

• Lasagna
• You will need to make the tomato sauce, cook the lasagna noodles and make the bechamel to begin assembling the lasagna. I like to double the recipe and freeze one for later.
• Serves 8
• Tomato Meat Sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey (or mixture)
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
• 1- 28 ounce cans tomato sauce
• 1- 28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped or 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped or 3 teaspoons dried oregano
• In a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, add olive oil. Add onion and sauté for 8 minutes or until lightly brown. Over medium high heat add ground beef and sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until cooked all the way through. Drain excess fat. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add tomato sauces, basil, and oregano cook over medium low heat stirring frequently for 1 hour minutes. Taste for seasoning.
• Béchamel Sauce
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1/2cup flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg (optional)
• 5 cups milk or half and half
• 2 cups grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
• In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, add butter and melt. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add flour and with a whisk, whisk well until thoroughly mixed and allow to bubble and cook for 1 minute. Add milk and with a whisk, whisk well until there are no lumps. Allow to come to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add cheese and mix gently until melted. Béchamel should be pourable. If it seems too thick, add more milk and mix well.
• Noodles
• 1 box lasagna noodles
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• In a large pot of salted boiling water, add pasta and cook according to manufacturer’s directions until al dente or a little undercooked. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drizzle noodles with olive oil and gently toss. Set aside.
• To assemble lasagna
• Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set side.
• 1 cup Parmesan Reggiano, grated
• 1 cup mozzarella, grated
• Mix cheeses together in a bowl and set aside.
• Take 1/3 of tomato sauce and spread it evenly on the bottom of the baking dish. Place a layer of noodles on top and spread 1/3 of tomato sauce and 1/3 of the béchamel sauce and continue layering. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over entire lasagna and place foil over baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and allow the cheese to lightly brown, another 30 minutes.
• Remove lasagna and allow to set for 10 minutes before serving.