Hearty Meat Lasagna

Ingredients:

Tomato-Meat Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
• 6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 28 ounce can pureed tomatoes
• 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Pasta Layers

• 15 ounces ricotta cheese (whole milk or part skim, 1 3/4 cups)
• 2 1/2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (1 1/4 cups)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1 pound whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (4 cups)

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat oil in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. Increase heat to medium-high and add ground beef, salt, and pepper; cook, breaking meat into small pieces with wooden spoon, until meat loses its raw color but has not browned, about 4 minutes.
4. Add cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and only fat remains, about 4 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes and bring to simmer; reduce heat to low and simmer slowly until flavors are blended, about 3 minutes; set sauce aside. (Sauce can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days; reheat before assembling lasagna.)
6. Mix ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper in medium bowl with fork until well-combined and creamy; set aside.
7. Smear the entire bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with 1/4 cup of the meat sauce (avoiding large chunks of meat). Place three noodles in the baking dish to create the first layer. Drop 2 or 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture down the center of each noodle and level/spread. Sprinkle the layer evenly with 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce evenly over the cheese.
8. Repeat layering of noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, and sauce two more times. Place 3 remaining noodles on top of sauce, spread remaining sauce over noodles, sprinkle with remaining cup mozzarella, then with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
9. Lightly spray a large sheet of foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover lasagna. Bake 15 minutes, then remove foil. Return lasagna to oven and continue to bake until cheese is spotty brown and sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes longer. Cool lasagna about 10 minutes; cut into pieces and serve.