Skip to content

Robert St. John

Restaurateur, author, enthusiastic traveler, & world-class eater.

Meat Lasagna

Ingredients

1 each 1lb. package lasagna sheets, dry
1 gallon Water
¼ cup Kosher salt
2 TB Extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 lb. Ground beef
1 lb. Ground Italian sausage
¼ cup Yellow onion, small diced
1 TB Garlic, minced
4 cups Marinara
2 lbs. Ricotta cheese
2 TB Lemon zest
2 each Whole eggs
2 TB Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 cups Shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated

Instructions

Wrap the Ricotta cheese in cheesecloth and place in a strainer over a bowl. Weight the Ricotta with some plates or bowls (about 5 lbs. will do) and place in the refrigerator overnight to remove excess water from the cheese.

Preheat oven to 375.

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a large stock pot. While you are waiting for the water to boil, prepare a large bowl of ice water. Add the dry pasta to the boiling water and stir frequently until pasta is tender but not mushy. Once pasta has cooled, remove from ice bath and reserve.

Heat 1 TB of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add ground beef and Italian sausage and stir frequently until cooked, 6-8 minutes.  Drain and let cool at room temperature.

In a medium bowl, combine Ricotta cheese, lemon zest, eggs and parsley.Mix ¼ cup of the ricotta mixture with ½ cup of the marinara.

In a lightly oiled 11” x 13” casserole dish, spread the ricotta and marinara mixture across the bottom of the pan. This will help keep the first layer of pasta from sliding around.

Begin the layering process with one layer of cooked pasta sheets. You may have to cut some of them to fit, depending on the size of the pasta sheets. Next, spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on the pasta sheets. Follow this with 1/3 of the meat mixture, then 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella and ¼ cup of the grated Romano. Finish the first layer with ¾ cup marinara.

Repeat the layering process 2 more times, beginning with pasta sheets and ending with marinara.

For the top, place remaining pasta sheets, marinara, shredded mozzarella and grated cheese in that order.

At this point, you may refrigerate for 3-4 days or freeze for 3 months before cooking. If freezing, remove lasagna from the freezer a day or two in advance and allow to thaw completely before cooking.

Cover with parchment paper followed by foil. Coat the surface of the parchment paper that will be in contact with the cheese with non-stick spray to prevent the cheese from sticking to it when removed. Bake until lasagna reaches an internal temperature of 165, about 1 hour, maybe longer. Remove the foil and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes. Let rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Recent Recipes

Amalfi Lemon Cake

There's a particular kind of sunshine that only shows up in citrus form, and this Amalfi Lemon Cake has it in spades. Bright, moist, and unapologetically lemony, it walks the line between a proper dessert and something you'd be just as happy eating with your coffee on a Tuesday morning. The glaze soaks into the crumb while the cake's still warm, so every bite carries that little pucker of acidity balanced against real sweetness. It's simple enough for a weeknight and pretty enough for company.

Read more

Pecan Crusted Redfish

There's a certain kind of Southern kitchen wisdom that says you can't improve on a fresh Gulf redfish — and for the most part, that's true. But every now and then a dish comes along that doesn't so much improve the fish as it does pay proper respect to it, and this pecan-crusted redfish is one of those. It's a dish that works just as well for a Tuesday supper as it does for a table full of guests you're trying to impress — which, if you ask me, is the mark of a truly great recipe. Serve it simple, with rice or grits and something green on the side, and let the fish do the talking.

Read more

Stuffed Pork

Robert St. John's Stuffed Pork is an elegant centerpiece dish that takes a braised pork loin and layers it with Black Forest ham and melted Fontina cheese for a result that's as impressive to look at as it is to eat. The pork is seared, slow-roasted in chicken stock, and then sliced accordion-style so each cut fans open to hold the savory fillings before going back into the oven to meld together. A silky pan sauce made from the reduced braising liquid and heavy cream ties it all together, making this one of those recipes that feels restaurant-worthy without being out of reach.

Read more