Florida Shrimp Pie
American Lasagna is a classic comfort food, layered with hearty meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and gooey mozzarella. Perfect for dinner or gatherings, it’s a crowd-pleasing dish that’s easy to prepare and always satisfying.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce:
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano
For the Ricotta Mixture:
1 part-skim ricotta cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons dried parsley
For the Layers:
12 dry lasagna noodles
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Make the Meat Sauce: Cook the ground beef, chopped onion, and minced garlic in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes until browned. Drain off excess fat. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, basil, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and oregano. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Prepare the Noodles: While the sauce simmers, bring lightly salted water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles for 8 minutes or until tender yet firm. Drain and lay the noodles flat on towels to blot dry.
Prepare the Ricotta Mixture: In a medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, dried parsley, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
Assemble the Lasagna: In a 9×13-inch baking dish, layer 1/3 of the cooked noodles, followed by half of the ricotta mixture, half of the shredded mozzarella, and 1/3 of the meat sauce. Repeat the layering process with another layer of noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, and meat sauce.
Finish the Lasagna: Top with the final layer of noodles and the remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake: Bake in the preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Make Ahead: Assemble the lasagna up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate. Add 5-10 extra minutes to the baking time if baking from cold.
Freezing: Freeze assembled lasagna for up to 3 months. To bake from frozen, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake covered for 1 hour, then uncover for an additional 20 minutes.
Substitutes: Use no-boil noodles for a quicker prep, but add extra sauce as these noodles absorb more liquid.
Find it online: https://juliameals.com/florida-shrimp-pie/
