Description
Lasagna Pie is a delicious Italian-inspired dish featuring layers of mafaldine pasta mixed with rich meat sauce, ricotta, Pecorino Romano, and mozzarella cheeses, baked to perfection in a cast iron pan. This recipe combines the hearty flavors of ground beef and pork with aromatic herbs and a touch of spice for a comforting and savory main course perfect for family dinners.
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 cheese 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 the olive oil and diced onion. Sauté until the onion is soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the ground chuck and ground pork, increase heat to medium-high, and brown the meat. Remove excess fat with a spoon. Once meat is cooked through, add minced garlic and cook until fragrant for another 2 minutes. Stir in crushed hot red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add wine and tomatoes: Pour in the dry white wine and cook for 2 minutes until the alcohol smell dissipates. Add the hand-crushed plum tomatoes and stir thoroughly. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Let it simmer for at least 30 minutes to develop flavors. Season with salt, pepper, and chopped basil to taste.
- Preheat oven and cook pasta: Preheat the oven to 375°F and position a rack in the middle and another near the top. Bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons salt per gallon) to a boil. Cook the mafaldine pasta until 2 minutes less than al dente, then drain.
- Make the pasta mixture: In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, ricotta, grated Pecorino Romano, coarse black pepper, chopped basil, and parsley. Add 4 cups of the prepared meat sauce to the bowl and mix gently. Add the drained pasta and 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, mixing until all ingredients are well combined.
- Prepare the pan: Heat a 12-inch oven-proof or cast iron pan over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and spread to coat the surface of the pan evenly. Add the pasta mixture to the pan, spreading it out, and cook for 1 minute without stirring. Then turn off the heat.
- Bake and finish: Top the pasta mixture with the remaining 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake for 12 minutes or until the lasagna pie is set. For a browner top, move the pan to the upper rack and broil for 2-3 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
- Rest and serve: Remove the lasagna pie from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve each slice with extra meat sauce and grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Enjoy your savory lasagna pie!
Notes
- Substitute mafaldine pasta with broken lasagna noodles if needed.
- Exact baking time may vary slightly; bake just until the pie sets, then broil briefly if a browner top is desired.
- The recipe yields approximately 4 cups of leftover meat sauce, ideal for serving with each slice or for bread dipping.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the oven or on the stovetop until warmed through.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
