Description
A hearty lasagna pie made with a rich meat sauce, mafaldine pasta, and a blend of cheeses, baked to perfection with a golden crust and served in convenient slices.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Sauce
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 pound ground chuck
- 1 pound ground pork
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 5 basil leaves chopped
Lasagna Pie
- 1 pound mafaldine pasta or broken lasagna noodles
- 4 cups meat sauce from above
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon coarse cracked black pepper
- 3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella divided
- 3 tablespoons chopped basil
- 3 tablespoons minced flat leaf Italian parsley
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the meat sauce: Heat a large pot or deep pan over medium heat and add olive oil and diced onion. Sauté until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add ground chuck and ground pork and increase heat to medium-high. Brown the meat thoroughly, then remove excess fat with a spoon. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in dry white wine and cook for 2 minutes until the alcohol aroma dissipates. Add crushed plum tomatoes, mix well, and bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and chopped basil leaves. Remove from heat once complete.
- Preheat and prepare for lasagna pie: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Position one oven rack in the middle and another near the top.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons salt per gallon) to a boil. Add mafaldine pasta and cook until 2 minutes less than al dente.
- Mix filling: In a large bowl, beat together eggs, ricotta cheese, grated Pecorino Romano, coarse cracked black pepper, chopped basil, and minced flat leaf Italian parsley. Stir in 4 cups of the prepared meat sauce.
- Combine pasta and cheese mixture: Drain the pasta and add it to the bowl with the cheese and sauce mixture along with 2 cups of shredded mozzarella. Mix thoroughly to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Prepare the pan: Heat a 12-inch oven-proof or cast iron pan over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and spread it to coat the entire pan evenly.
- Cook the lasagna pie base: Transfer the pasta mixture into the hot pan and cook undisturbed for 1 minute, then turn off the heat.
- Add cheese and bake: Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup shredded mozzarella on top. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake for 12 minutes or until the lasagna pie is set.
- Broil for browning: For a more browned top, move the pan to the upper rack and broil for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning.
- Rest and serve: Let the lasagna pie rest in the pan for 5 minutes before removing and slicing. Serve each slice with extra meat sauce and grated Pecorino cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
- Broken lasagna noodles can replace the mafaldine pasta if needed.
- Bake the lasagna pie just until set, then optionally broil for browning but watch carefully to avoid burning.
- The recipe yields approximately 4 cups of leftover meat sauce, perfect for topping each slice or serving with bread for dipping.
- Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated in a pan or the oven until warm.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
