The Warm Kitchen Journal

A rich, cozy, family-style lasagna layered with hearty meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and melty cheese—perfect for Sunday dinner or anytime you want something comforting and homemade.

Ingredients

Meat Sauce

1 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork sausage

1 medium onion, finely diced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup dry red wine (or beef broth)

1 Tbsp olive oil

32 oz pasta sauce (4 cups)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp sugar (optional)

Pasta

16 oz lasagna noodles, cooked al dente

Ricotta Layer

16 oz ricotta cheese

1 egg, beaten 1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Italian herbs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Topping

8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Brown the Meat

Heat olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven over medium heat.

Add ground beef and sausage, breaking it apart as it cooks.

Season with salt, pepper, and thyme.

Cook until browned with slight caramelization.

2. Add Onion + Garlic

Stir in diced onion and cook until soft (about 2 minutes).

Add garlic and cook for 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

3. Deglaze

Pour in red wine or broth and scrape up all the flavorful bits from the bottom.

4. Simmer the Sauce

Add pasta sauce and sugar (if using).

Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low.

Simmer for at least 30 minutes (longer = deeper flavor).

5. Cook the Pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Cook lasagna noodles until al dente, then drain.

6. Make the Ricotta Mixture

In a bowl, combine:

ricotta, egg, salt, Italian herbs, and parmesan.

Mix until smooth and creamy.

Assemble the Lasagna

Preheat oven to 350°F

In a 9×9 deep dish:

Spread a thin layer of meat sauce. Add a layer of lasagna noodles (about 4). Add more meat sauce. Repeat layers (3–4 layers total). Finish with ricotta mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake

Bake uncovered for 25–40 minutes, until:

bubbly, golden on top and edges are slightly crispy.

Let rest 10–15 minutes before slicing.

Tips from my kitchen

•The longer the sauce simmers, the richer it tastes

•Letting it rest before cutting = cleaner layers

•Broil for 2–3 minutes at the end for crispy topping

• If you do not like pork sausage use more ground beef.

• don’t like thick lasagna layers, then use a 9×13 dish.

• Depending on how deep your baking dish is you might have a few piece of pasta left over.