Meat Sauce and Ricotta Lasagna

By
Kyle Phillips
Kyle Phillips
Food, wine, and travel writer Kyle Phillips lived in Tuscany and developed his passion and expertise for food and cooking through travel.
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Updated on 05/24/22
Lasagna With Fresh Ricotta

The Spruce

Prep: 75 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 115 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Adding ricotta to lasagna is popular in the United States, and it stems from southern Italy. This tradition reaches its apex with the elaborate lasagne con la ricotta, which is enjoyed often, especially during Carnival time in Naples. It is a distinctly different approach than the lasagna preferred in Tuscany and other northern areas of the country. 

Immigrant families from southern Italy brought ricotta lasagna with them when they arrived in the New World. This recipe is one of those Italian American variations.

The recipe is unique in that a whole pork shoulder is used in making the tomato-based meat sauce. However, it is removed before assembling the lasagna and served as a second course. This means you get both a primo (pasta first course) and secondo (meat second course) out of one recipe.

Serve with a tossed green salad and some homemade crusty bread to round out your meal.

Ingredients

For the Meat Sauce:

  • 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 pound (450 grams) pork shoulder

  • Fine sea salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 medium onion, sliced

  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced

  • 1 1/2 pounds (900 grams) ground beef

  • 1 (29-ounce) can tomato puree

  • 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 3 tablespoons white sugar, optional

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda, optional

For the Filling:

  • 2 pounds (900 grams) fresh ricotta cheese (preferably high-quality without stabilizers)

  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • Fine sea salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Lasagna:

  • 1 pound (450 grams) lasagna noodles

  • 1/2 pound (225 grams) firm mozzarella cheese, sliced

Steps to Make It

Make the Sauce

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Meat sauce and ricotta lasagna ingredients
    The Spruce  

  2. In a pot, heat the oil. Add the pork, season it with salt and pepper, and brown the meat thoroughly on all sides.

    Browned pork in a skillet
     The Spruce

  3. Remove the meat to a platter, leaving the drippings in the pot.

    Browned pork on a plate
     The Spruce

  4. Add the onion, garlic, and ground beef.

    Ground beef and onions in a skillet
     The Spruce

  5. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and cook until the beef is browned.

    Sautéed beef and onions in a skillet
     The Spruce

  6. Add the tomato puree, tomato paste, and water, as well as the sugar and baking soda (if you're using those).

    Red sauce ingredients for lasagna
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  7. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes.

    Simmering red sauce
     The Spruce

  8. Add the pork. 

    Pork in red sauce for lasagna
     The Spruce

  9. Continue simmering for 1 hour, or until the pork is fork-tender.

    Simmering red sauce
     The Spruce

Prepare the Filling

  1. Gather the ingredients for the filling.

  2. Combine the ricotta with the grated Parmigiano cheese and parsley.

    Season the mixture to taste with salt and black pepper, and set it aside.

    Lasagna filling mixture ingredients

    The Spruce

Assemble the Lasagna

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F/180 C. Boil the lasagna noodles, a few sheets at a time, in lightly salted water until they are al dente.

    Lasagna pasta sheets in hot water

    The Spruce

  2. Remove them with a strainer and drain.

    Cooked lasagna sheets

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  3. Remove the pork from the sauce and set it aside.

    Pork in red sauce

    The Spruce

  4. Coat the bottom of a baking dish with 1/2 cup of the sauce.

  5. Put down a layer of lasagna noodles.

  6. Then a layer of ricotta.

    Lasagna layers

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  7. Continue alternating the lasagna noodles with sauce and ricotta.

    Lasagna layers

    The Spruce

  8. Cover the last layer of lasagna noodles with sauce and then the mozzarella slices.

    Mozarella topped lasagna

    The Spruce

  9. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until the mozzarella on top is melted, bubbly, and somewhat browned.

    Homemade lasagna with meat sauce

    The Spruce

  10. Serve the lasagna as the first course and the pork as a second course.

Recipe Variation

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
975 Calories
58g Fat
41g Carbs
72g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 975
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 58g 74%
Saturated Fat 24g 120%
Cholesterol 219mg 73%
Sodium 843mg 37%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 72g
Vitamin C 17mg 87%
Calcium 637mg 49%
Iron 8mg 44%
Potassium 1521mg 32%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)