Mom's Lasagna Recipe

Mom's lasagna was always a treat around the holiday, especially Easter or Christmas time.

She would make everything from scratch and it would take her a labor of love in hours.

Homemade ricotta cheese, the lasagna noodles cut by hand, meatballs, sausage all from scratch!

Of course now in busier times, we have all the necessary ingredients to make a lasagna in record times and it so much easier.

Back in Bari, Italy where mom came from, everything was made by hand special during a holiday.

You can use all store-bought ingredients and this lasagna will be a huge hit.

Mom made her lasagna with hard boiled eggs in a layer, that was how her Region made it, you can skip that layer and just add more meat if you aren't a fan.

Here is an awesome recipe for mom's lasagna, we miss her every day and make it in her memory every year.

Easter and Christmas Day are our tradition to keep her spirit alive in the kitchen making this recipe.

Lasagna

Lasagna is actually a layer pasta casserole.


It's full of seasoned meats such as sausage and meatball mixture, ricotta cheese and sauce.


One of the gourmet meals made in an Italian household during the holiday season.


It's a one-pan meal.


Usually served with delicious hard crusted Italian garlic bread, a good Chianti wine and nice antipasto salad.

The Sauce

We always make a traditional homemade sauce (sugo in Italian) it's loaded with meatballs, sausage and braciole which is a stuffed meat roll.


The sauce is usually made the day before or early Sunday morning after the meatballs are fried.


We always had and still have fried meatballs for a Sunday morning breakfast tradition, mom always made a double batch.

Lasagna

I always double the recipe and use a Turkey sized pan when feeding a crowd.


The lasagna above will feed around 18 to 24 people and has two pounds of pasta noodles.


If you have to double the recipe, always make sure you make extra sauce and other ingredients to accommodate this large amount of layers.

Very Lucky

Looking back through the years, waking up with the smell of  Roasted Leg of Lamb or a Traditional Roasted Turkey,


I now reminisce those days with mom in the kitchen beating the eggs and whisking the ricotta for the lasagna, brings a tear to my eye of those precious moments in time.


I was so fortunate to be born into an Italian family!

Now We Make Lasagna Together

I really missed those days.


But we carry on traditions now with my own sons and remember that wonderful smell of her cooking that is etched in our minds forever, it brings peace.


Luckily both my boys love to cook and learned how to make everything we love.

Tips

• You can substitute ground chuck sauteed with all the meatball ingredients and add sauce to simmer for your meat
• Also, you can purchase loose sausage and mix in with the meatballs
• Always use whole milk cheeses
• Garnish with fresh herbs for best results IE parsley and basil
• If you use bottled sauce make sure its meat flavored
• For those who like spicy foods add red pepper flakes lightly over the meat layer
• Don't overcook the pasta it will finish cooking in the oven

Boiled Eggs

Some folks are wondering about this layer, it's a traditional way mom made hers from her Region.


We love it and they actually fight to get the egg as it's hidden throughout the lasagna and if you don't space it out evenly, you may not get one in your slice.


It puts a smile on my face when someone yells "I found the egg".


Just omit that layer if you don't care for eggs.

Ingredients You Will Need:

• Traditional Sunday Sauce Recipe or use your favorite store bought
• whole milk ricotta
• hard-boiled eggs sliced thick and set aside ( Optional this is how mom made it from Bari, Italy)
• eggs
• grating cheese
• lasagna noodles
• Italian mild or hot sausage drained ( for homemade sausage recipe click here)
• meatballs
• garlic
• fresh chopped parsley
• shredded whole milk mozzarella
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh basil leaves
• Optional: red pepper flakes

The Layers And Very Important Step

One important step is to alternative the noodles going different ways.


Start one row vertical, then next horizontal.


Repeat alternating the pasta noodles so when you cut this is will hold together perfectly!

Easy To Make

I like to take the ricotta and mix it and set aside.


I also do the same with the meat, saute, drain, add sauce to the meatballs and sausage and set aside.


Set up an ingredient station so everything is right in front of you while layering, it makes this much easier.


I also drain the noodles, never rinse them (the sauce sticks better) the place them on wax paper so they don't stick together.

Mom's Lasagna Pin for later

Try Some Of Our Other Favorite Recipes

Braciole

Italian Meatballs

Homemade Sausage

homemade lasagna, Easter, Holiday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, pasta, Macaroni, baked lasagna

pasta, Italian food,

Italian

Yield: 14

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

Mom's Lasagna Recipe

prep time: 25 Mcook time: 45 Mtotal time: 70 M

This is a version of homemade lasagna from the Region my mom was from. In Bari, Italy her mom taught her to make this lasagna using a layer of boiled egg. That will optional to those not familiar with this version. Lasagna was always made during any holiday.

ingredients:

• Traditional Sunday Sauce Recipe or use your favorite store bought
• 2 lbs of whole milk ricotta or homemade
• 6 hard-boiled eggs sliced thick and set aside ( Optional this is how mom made it from Bari, Italy)
• 2 eggs beaten
• grating cheese
• 1 lb of lasagna noodles, cooked drained and spread out on wax paper
• 1 lb of loose cooked Italian mild or hot sausage drained ( for homemade sausage recipe click here)
• 12 homemade meatballs in sauce crushed (click here for the recipe)
• 4 cloves finely minced garlic
• 1 cup fresh chopped parsley and fresh basil leaves for garnish
• 4 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella
• salt and pepper to taste
• 13x9 pan
• Preparation:

instructions:

1. Cook lasagna noodles al dente, drain and spread out on wax paper.
2. In a medium bowl mix ricotta, 2 eggs beaten, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 2 tablespoons grating cheese, mix until well blended.
3. In a medium fry pan saute the sausage until cooked.
4. Add to crushed meatballs, mix together. Add some sauce to this mixture around 1 cup) set aside.
5. Put this lasagna together:
6. Line the 13x9 pan with a layer of noodles, switch directions as you layer them.
7. First layer place hard boiled eggs on the bottom, spread with sauce on top, grating cheese, some parsley, another layer of noodles.
8. Next add the meat, noodles more sauce some grating cheese, mozzarella.
9. The last layer spread the ricotta on top and sprinkle with mozzarella, no sauce and some grating cheese with parsley.
10. Top the ricotta mixture with lasagna noodles adds sauce more mozzarella, grating cheese, rest of garlic, any parsley left.
11. Bake at 325 until nicely browned on top. Garnish with basil.

Calories
425

Fat (grams)
22

Sat. Fat (grams)
9

Carbs (grams)
24

Created using The Recipes Generator

Try Mom's Meatball Recipe!

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