Instructions
Step-by-Step Method
1
Brown the beef. Heat olive oil in a wide pot over medium-high. Cook the onion for 4 minutes until translucent. Add the beef, break it up, salt generously. Cook until no pink remains, about 8 minutes. Drain most of the fat, leaving 2 tablespoons for flavor.
2
Build the sauce. Add garlic and dried herbs, cook 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and toast for 2 minutes. Deglaze with wine and let it reduce by half. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, bring to a bare simmer, cook uncovered 30 minutes until a spoon leaves a trail across the pot.
3
Cook the pasta. Boil regular noodles for 2 minutes less than package directions in heavily salted water. Drain, rinse under cool water to stop cooking, and lay flat on a lightly oiled sheet pan. Skip this step entirely for no-boil noodles.
4
Mix the ricotta. In a bowl, whisk the egg into the ricotta until smooth. Stir in Parmigiano, parsley, salt, and pepper. Taste — it should be seasoned enough to eat straight from the bowl.
5
Start the pan. Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C. Spread ¾ cup meat sauce across the bottom of a 9×13 dish. Lay 3–4 noodles over the sauce, edges just touching.
6
Layer one. Spread ⅓ of the ricotta mixture over the noodles with an offset spatula. Top with ⅓ of the remaining meat sauce. Scatter ¾ cup shredded mozzarella.
7
Layer two. Repeat: noodles, ricotta, meat sauce, mozzarella. Press down gently after each layer to compact it.
8
Layer three. One more time: noodles, ricotta, meat sauce, mozzarella.
9
Top and finish. Add a final noodle layer, blanket with the last of the meat sauce, then cover with remaining mozzarella and ¼ cup extra Parmigiano. This last layer is what browns and crisps.
10
Bake covered. Cover the pan with foil, tenting slightly so the cheese doesn't stick. Bake 45 minutes.
11
Bake uncovered. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes until the top is golden and the edges bubble aggressively.
12
Rest 20 minutes. Non-negotiable. Pull the pan from the oven, set it on a rack, and walk away. Center should read 165°F / 74°C. Cut too early and the layers slide.
