Kurpuis Family Recipes

Classic Lasagna with Red Wine Meat Sauce

Ingredients

For the Meat Sauce (Ragù)

  1. 2 tbsp olive oil
  2. 1 lb (450g) ground beef (80/20 ideal)
  3. 1/2 lb (225g) Italian sausage (mild or hot, casings removed)
  4. 1 medium onion, finely diced
  5. 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
  6. 1 medium carrot, finely diced
  7. 1 celery stalk, finely diced
  8. 1/2 cup red wine (Chianti, Sangiovese, Merlot, or a dry red you like)
  9. 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
  10. 2 tbsp tomato paste
  11. 1 tsp dried oregano
  12. 1 tsp dried basil (optional if using fresh later)
  13. 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  14. 1 bay leaf
  15. Salt & pepper to taste

For the Cheese Layer

  1. 15 oz ricotta
  2. 1 large egg
  3. 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  4. 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  5. 1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional but traditional)
  6. Salt & pepper to taste

Other Layers

  1. 1 lb low moisture mozzarella, shredded
  2. Fresh basil, torn (optional but delicious)
  3. 12 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente, or no-boil noodles

Directions

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Make the Red Wine Meat Sauce

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
  2. Add beef and sausage, breaking apart with a spoon. Brown deeply—this adds major flavor.
  3. Add onion, carrot, celery, and cook 5–7 minutes until softened.
  4. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds).
  5. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to caramelize.
  6. Pour in the red wine. Scrape up all browned bits.
  7. Simmer 3–5 minutes until the wine reduces by about half.
  8. Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, chili flakes, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
  9. Reduce heat to low and simmer at least 1 hour, ideally 90 minutes to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  10. Remove bay leaf, taste, adjust seasoning.

2. Prepare the Cheese Filling

Mix together:

Set aside.

3. Cook the Lasagna Noodles

4. Assemble the Lasagna

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Layer in a 9×13 pan:

  1. Thin layer of sauce
  2. Noodles
  3. Ricotta mixture (⅓)
  4. Mozzarella + a sprinkle of Parmesan
  5. Sauce (⅓)

Repeat until you have 3 full layers, ending with:

Add torn fresh basil between layers if you like.

5. Bake

  1. Cover loosely with foil (tip: spray foil with oil so cheese doesn’t stick).
  2. Bake 30 minutes.
  3. Remove foil and bake 15–20 minutes until bubbling and browned.
  4. Let rest 15–20 minutes before slicing (crucial—keeps it from falling apart).

Equipment

  1. Large pot
  2. Spoon for stirring
  3. 9×13 baking pan
  4. Foil
  5. Oven

Tips

Source