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Ernie's Kitchen

Ernie’s Lasagna

Written by

Ernie Crawford

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A tall square of lasagna with creamy white ricotta and Alfredo layers between tender noodles and thin red sauce, topped with marinara and browned, bubbling mozzarella and provolone and sprinkled with chopped parsley, on a white square rimmed plate with smooth marinara pooling around it and a golden garlic roll beside it, a chef's knife on the speckled brown, gold and black granite counter behind, in warm evening light with a blurred living room in the background.
Image generated with AI, styled after my own kitchen.

Chef’s note

Tender noodles, tangy pizza sauce and a rich, creamy ricotta filling with a little homemade Alfredo, roasted garlic and oregano, all under mozzarella and provolone. From my restaurant days: bake it a day ahead, cut it cold into neat squares, then finish each one with marinara and more cheese under the broiler.

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Ernie’s Lasagna

Serves
6

Prep time
40 minutes

Cook time
1 hour 10 minutes

Total time
2 hours

Ingredients

Quick Alfredo

  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan

Ricotta filling

  • 3 cups (24 oz) whole-milk ricotta
  • 1 large egg plus 1 yolk
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon roasted garlic, mashed
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Layers

  • 12 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente (or no-boil)
  • 4 cups pizza sauce
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella-provolone mix (12 oz; about 2 parts mozzarella to 1 part provolone)

To serve

  • 2 cups marinara, warmed
  • 1 cup mozzarella-provolone mix
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • Garlic rolls

Instructions

  1. Make the quick Alfredo. Bring the cream and butter to a boil in a small saucepan. Lower the heat and whisk in the Parmesan a little at a time until smooth and creamy, not gritty. Let cool 5 minutes.
  2. Mix the filling. In a bowl, stir the ricotta, egg and yolk, cream, roasted garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper and the cooled Alfredo until completely smooth.
  3. Heat the oven to 350°F.
  4. Layer. Spread 1 cup pizza sauce in a 9×13 baking dish. Layer 3 noodles, ⅓ of the filling and 3 noodles; then 1 cup sauce, 1 cup cheese and 3 noodles; then ⅓ of the filling and the last 3 noodles (overlap or trim to fit). Finish with the remaining filling, sauce and cheese.
  5. Bake covered. Cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until bubbling and light golden (not dark).
  6. Rest. Let stand at least 30 minutes before cutting. For the cleanest squares, cool completely, refrigerate overnight and cut cold into 6 portions.
  7. Finish each portion. Reheat the squares (microwave 2 to 3 minutes, or 20 minutes covered in a 350°F oven) on an oven-safe plate. Spoon about ⅓ cup marinara over each, sprinkle with the extra cheese and Parmesan, and broil 2 minutes until golden. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with garlic rolls.

Chef’s Tips

  • Don’t tear the noodles. Lay them in gently; torn sheets let the filling leak.
  • Rest before cutting. Hot lasagna slumps; chilled lasagna cuts into perfect squares.
  • Roasted garlic shortcut: wrap a head of garlic in foil with a drizzle of oil and roast at 400°F for 40 minutes, then squeeze out the cloves.
  • Lunch portion: cut 12 smaller squares and serve with a salad or a cup of soup.
  • Scaling note: halves into an 8×8 dish (bake about 35 minutes covered).

Storage & Make-Ahead

  • Baked lasagna keeps 3 days in the fridge. Or wrap individual squares in plastic and foil and freeze up to 2 months.
  • The ricotta filling keeps 3 days in the fridge.

From Ernie’s Kitchen

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