Description
This festive Christmas Eve Lasagna recipe combines a rich, slow-simmered Bolognese sauce with creamy basil pesto ricotta and layers of mozzarella and Italian cheese blend, creating a comforting and indulgent dish perfect for holiday gatherings. The lasagna is assembled with no-boil noodles, allowed to rest overnight, and baked to a bubbly, golden finish for an impressive yet approachable centerpiece meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Lasagna and Cooking Supplies
- Nonstick cooking spray
- One 13.2-ounce box DeLallo No-Boil Lasagna
- Spray a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray
Best-Ever Bolognese
- 2 large carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 4 ounces pancetta, roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- One 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 cup medium-bodied red wine, such as Chianti
- 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 10-12 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Optional: 1 parmesan rind
- One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Basil Pesto Ricotta
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese, whole milk or part-skim
- One 6.3-ounce jar DeLallo Simply Basil Pesto
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Cheeses
- 24 ounces shredded low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 6 cups)
- 12 ounces Italian cheese blend, such as asiago, parmesan, etc. (about 3 cups)
Instructions
- Prepare Sofritto Veggies: Add roughly chopped carrot, celery, and onion to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped but not pureed, leaving small visible pieces. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
- Prepare Pancetta and Garlic: Using the same food processor bowl, add the pancetta and garlic. Pulse until finely chopped and set aside.
- Sauté Pancetta and Garlic: Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart (or larger) pot over medium heat. When hot, add the pancetta and garlic mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta renders fat and garlic is fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.
- Cook Sofritto: Add the chopped vegetables (soffritto) to the pot with pancetta and garlic. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned and aromatic, 15-20 minutes. Lower heat if vegetables brown too fast. Push mixture aside in pot.
- Brown Meats: Generously season ground beef and pork with 1 teaspoon kosher salt each. Add meat to center of pot and allow to brown undisturbed for 2-3 minutes per side. Break apart with wooden spoon and stir into soffritto. Cook until meat is fully browned, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook 2-3 minutes to brown.
- Deglaze with Wine: Increase heat to medium-high and pour in red wine. Stir constantly, scraping browned bits from pot bottom. Cook until wine is almost fully absorbed, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add Herbs and Liquids: Tie rosemary and thyme sprigs with kitchen twine (or finely chop if no twine). Add herbs, bay leaves, and parmesan rind (if using) to the pot. Stir in crushed tomatoes and chicken broth or water.
- Simmer Sauce: Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, for 90 minutes. Add broth or water as needed if sauce reduces too quickly. Cover pot partially if needed to maintain moisture.
- Finish Sauce: Stir in heavy cream and grated parmesan. Adjust seasoning with kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside or refrigerate up to 5 days.
- Prepare Basil Pesto Ricotta: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, basil pesto, eggs, parmesan, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir until evenly combined. Refrigerate up to 3 days if not using immediately.
- Prepare Baking Pan: Spray a large piece of foil and a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Ladle about 1 cup bolognese sauce into the dish and spread evenly to coat bottom to prevent sticking.
- Assemble Lasagna – Layer 1: Arrange a layer of no-boil lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread half the basil pesto ricotta evenly on noodles, then sprinkle about one-quarter of the mozzarella and Italian cheese blend over the ricotta.
- Assemble Lasagna – Layer 2: Repeat layering with bolognese sauce, noodles, remaining basil pesto ricotta, and another quarter of the cheeses. Continue alternating to create 4 layers of bolognese and ricotta.
- Finish Assembly: Top the final noodle layer with remaining bolognese sauce and the rest of the mozzarella and Italian cheese blend evenly distributed.
- Refrigerate Before Baking: Cover the assembled lasagna with the prepared foil. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours to let flavors meld and pasta soften.
- Bake Lasagna: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) with rack in center. Remove foil and place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 60 minutes, removing foil for the final 10 minutes to allow browning.
- Optional Broil: For extra golden and crispy top, broil for the last 5 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning.
- Rest and Serve: Remove lasagna from oven and let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing into 12-15 squares. Serve warm and enjoy the rich, festive flavors.
Notes
- For best flavor and texture, rest the lasagna assembled in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
- Pancetta adds richness and depth, but can be substituted with good quality bacon if unavailable.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot to prevent burning the Bolognese during the long simmer.
- No-boil lasagna noodles save time and simplify the layering process, absorbing sauce moisture during refrigeration and baking.
- Keep an eye on the sauce during simmering and add liquid as needed to maintain the right consistency.
- Letting the lasagna rest before slicing ensures clean cuts and allows flavors to develop fully.
