Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Make the Sauce: Heat the Olive Oil: In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sear the Pork Chunks: Season the pork chunks generously with a pinch of salt. Place them in the pot in a single layer and let them sear undisturbed for 2–3 minutes, allowing two sides to caramelize. Turn each chunk to sear the other sides, repeating as needed. The searing process should take about 6 minutes in total. Once caramelized, remove the pork chunks from the pot using tongs or a slotted spoon and set them aside.
- Brown the Sausage: Add the pork sausage to the same pot. Cook for about 3 minutes, breaking it up slightly, until browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage and set aside.
- Add the onion, garlic and anchovies and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is totally softened and translucent (without letting it brown), 8-10 minutes. Add the tomato paste if using and continue to cook, stirring, until the tomato paste has turned a deeper brick red color, about 2 minutes.
- Using your hands or kitchen scissors, crush the whole tomatoes into smaller pieces. Add the crushed tomatoes and the whole tomatoes to the pot, stirring well to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Fill one of the empty tomato cans three-fourths full with water, swirl it around to collect any remaining tomato, and pour the water into the pot. (If not using meat or using only ground meat, use only 1/2 can of water.) Season the mixture with salt, pepper, and chili flakes, if using, then taste and adjust as needed.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, then return the meat to the pot. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 90 minutes to 2 hours, until the sauce has thickened, and the flavors have melded. The consistency should be similar to jarred tomato sauce—any thinner, and the lasagna will be too wet to slice neatly. **If not using meat or if using only ground meat, simmer the sauce for 40–50 minutes instead of longer. Cook until the sauce thickens, and the flavors come together. The consistency should still match that of jarred tomato sauce for a properly set lasagna. (See Note section.)
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and set a large pot of salted water to boil.
- Assemble the lasagna. Set aside 1 cup mozzarella. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining mozzarella, the ricotta, Parmesan, cream, and grated garlic clove; season with salt and pepper.
- Cook the lasagna noodles in the boiling water until just softened (before al dente), 3½ to 4 minutes. Drain and separate any noodles that are trying to stick together, drizzling them with a bit of olive oil to prevent them from sticking further.
- Spoon a bit of sauce on the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish and top with a layer of noodles, avoiding any heavy overlap (some overlap is fine and inevitable). Top with about 1¼ cups of sauce and dollop one-fourth of the cheese mixture over. Top with another layer of noodles and repeat three more times, ending with the last of the noodles (depending on size of the noodle/shape of the baking dish, you may have a few extra noodles) and the last of the sauce. Top with the reserved 1 cup mozzarella and more Parmesan, if you like.
- Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil and place it on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet to catch any overflow and prevent spills from burning in the oven. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the pasta is fully cooked and tender, and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 35–45 minutes, or until the lasagna is golden brown on top with crispy, frilly edges and corners. Begin checking for your preferred level of browning and crispiness after 15 minutes to avoid overbrowning. Allow the lasagna to cool about 20 to 30 minutes before serving. This resting period is the perfect time to prepare the garlic bread, if you're planning to serve it.
- DO AHEAD: The sauce can be made up to 1 week ahead, covered, and refrigerated. The lasagna can be baked up to 3 days ahead, wrapped tightly, and refrigerated (or up to 1 month, tightly wrapped and frozen—thaw before reheating). To reheat, cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 25 to 45 minutes.
Notes
Water Adjustment: If not using meat or only using ground meat, reduce the water to 1/2 can instead of 3/4 can. With less meat to absorb the liquid and no pork to tenderize, this prevents the sauce from becoming too watery.
Cooking Times: Without large chunks of meat, the sauce requires less simmering time. Cook for 40–50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to the consistency of jarred tomato sauce. This ensures the lasagna won't be too wet when assembled.
Cooking Lasagna Noodles: Cook noodles slightly less than al dente to prevent ripping and ensure they absorb flavors, avoiding a watery lasagna. Boil in smaller batches (1/2 or 1/3 pound) to prevent sticking. Stir with tongs while boiling and separate any that stick. Avoid cooking a full pound at once to prevent a tangled mess. Shiny noodles (e.g., Ronzoni, Mueller) stick more, while bronze-cut varieties (e.g., Flora, DeCecco, Rummo) hold up better.
This lasagna recipe is heavily inspired by the techniques of Chef Frank Proto, featured in Epicurious, and Alison Roman, a New York Times Cooking contributor and cookbook author. Their methods for crafting a rich, flavorful sauce and achieving perfectly creamy layers were key influences in developing this dish.