Trisha Yearwood’s Cowboy Lasagna

Instructions

1. Prepare the Meat Sauce:

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and breakfast sausage. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until well-browned and crumbled. Drain off any excess grease.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Stir in the sliced pepperoni, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let it simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Cook Noodles & Prep:

While the sauce simmers, cook the lasagna noodles in well-salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente (firm to the bite). Drain and lay the noodles in a single layer on parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a separate bowl, place the ricotta cheese for easy spreading.

3. Assemble the Lasagna:

Spread about 1 cup of the meat sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Arrange a layer of noodles over the sauce, slightly overlapping them.
Dot the noodles with spoonfuls of ricotta cheese (about 1/3 of the tub) and spread it gently.
Sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella and 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese.
Spoon another generous layer of sauce over the cheeses.
Repeat this process two more times: noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and sauce, finishing with a final layer of sauce and the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

4. Bake:

Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake on the center rack for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted, golden, and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

5. Rest and Serve:

Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest, uncovered, for at least 15 minutes before slicing. This allows the layers to set and makes for clean, perfect portions.

Make-Ahead: The entire meat sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator, which makes assembly quick and easy.
No-Boil Noodles: This recipe works well with oven-ready (no-boil) lasagna noodles. There is sufficient liquid in the sauce to cook them. Ensure the sauce is spread to cover the noodles completely.
Spice Level: For a milder dish, reduce the red pepper flakes to 1/4 teaspoon. For more heat, increase to 3/4 teaspoon.