The Best Homemade Lasagna Recipe

• Start by making the pasta noodles or boil 1lb of storebought noodles if using instead. Rub with olive oil then set aside, covered so they don’t dry out while you are making the sauce. 

How to Make homemade lasagna noodles

• In a large mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour, semolina flour, and salt. Mix together, then add in the 3 eggs. Mix until well incorporated, you should have large crumbles. Add this mixture to a food processor, and pulse until you have small crumbles. 
• Next, add in the water, one tablespoon at a time. Mix until the pasta dough starts to stick together and you have large crumbles. Form the dough into a ball and knead it a few times. The dough will be very stiff.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to sit in a warm environment for 30 minutes. It will become a little softer after resting. 

Rolling out the noodles

• Divide the dough into four parts, keep the others covered in plastic wrap, so they don’t dry out. Dust the dough with flour, and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle about  ¼ inch thick.
• Generously dust the pasta roller and the dough with flour. Roll out the dough on the largest setting on your pasta machine. Run the dough through the machine several times, each time lowering the setting until you reach the second smallest setting. Cut the dough into 12-inch pieces, lengthwise. Repeat with the rest of the balls of the dough. 
• Boil a large pot of water. Cook two lasagna noodles at a time, making sure they don’t fold over each other. Boil for 1 minute, then place the pasta onto a greased cookie sheet. Oil each layer of the pasta noodles so they don’t stick to each other. Set aside covered until you are ready to assemble the lasagna.Yields 10 lasagna noodles

Making the meat sauce

• Start by adding the spices into a small mixing bowl – salt, ground black pepper, dried thyme and rosemary, red crushed pepper flakes, garlic, and onion powder. Mix together, then set it aside.
• In a large skillet, heat ghee or vegetable oil. Fry the tomato paste for 5 minutes, mixing consistently until the color deepens and the tomato paste is more ‘grainy’ in texture. Then add in the chopped green bell peppers. Cook until they just start to soften, 3 minutes.
• Next, add in both cans of tomato sauce, half of your spice mixture, and the bay leaves. Mix until well combined. Cook on low for 15 – 20 minutes. 
• Remove the sauce from the heat then transfer it into a separate bowl, leaving ½ cup in the skillet.
• To the skillet, add the ground beef or bison and the rest of the spice mixture. Mix until everything is well combined, then spread the meat out evenly in the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high. Allow the meat to cook undisturbed for 10 minutes, or until juices start to form on the top and the meat is almost cooked through. Gently stir until the meat is fully cooked. Add the reserved sauce to the cooked meat, then set it aside.

How to Layer the Lasagna and Baking

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, add ¾ cup of the meat sauce on the bottom, a layer of noodles, ¼ cup of ricotta cheese, and ½ cup of shredded cheese, cover with noodles, more sauce, and some of the pickled jalapenos if using. 
• Repeat alternating the ricotta and shredded cheese layer with the meat sauce layers until you have used up all the ingredients, ending with the meat sauce. You will have 7 layers.
• Lastly, cover the top with the rest of the shredded cheese.
• Bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the cheese is brown and bubbly.
• Allow the lasagna to cool for 10 minutes then garnish with fresh parsley or freshly torn basil. Serve with a side salad and enjoy!