Sometimes, we like to go all out on a meal. Lasagna is one of those meals. We know we’ve been posting some quick recipes that you can make on a typical weeknight, but this one—this one is for the weekend.
Lasagna is a production, especially if you’re making (almost) everything from scratch. For this we used Nate’s pinot noir marinara, but instead of using oil to caramelize the onions, we opted for rendered fat from ground pork. What really makes this shine, though, is Jon’s lemon-infused ricotta mixture. It accents the tart umami of the marinara perfectly, giving the lasagna a duality: rich and floral.

Lemon Basil Lasagna

• 1 batch everyday pasta, rolled to 5 or 6 thickness or 1 12-oz. package of no-boil lasagna noodles.
• 2½ c. shredded mozzarella
• ¼ c. parmesan reggiano or pecorino romano, grated

Sauce

• Ingredients for 1 batch Nate’s Pinot Noir Marinara
• 1 lb. ground pork

Ricotta mixture

• 1 15-oz. container whole fat ricotta cheese
• ½ c. grated parmesan reggiano or pecorino romano, grated
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• ½ oz. basil leaves, chiffonade
• 1 egg
• salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

For the sauce, follow the directions here, browning the pork sausage in the same pot for the marinara over medium high heat. Remove the meat from the pan using a strainer, leaving the rendered fat and add diced onions to the hot pan. Add a small amount of oil if needed. Add the rest of the ingredients and reduce sauce for up to 1½ hours, stirring constantly.

While the sauce is reducing, make the pasta dough.

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

Mix the ricotta, parmesan, basil leaves, lemon juice and zest, and egg in a medium bowl.

Roll out pasta into lasagna noodles and coat with a light dusting of flour to keep from sticking. Take a 13″ by 9″ baking dish and coat the bottom with just enough marinara, about 1 cup. Place a layer of noodles in the pan.

Dollop in about a third of the ricotta mixture and spread evenly over the noodles. Add about ¾ cup marinara and spread evenly. Sprinkle ¾ cup mozzarella on top and place another layer of noodles on top of the layer. Congrats! This is your first layer!

Repeat this twice.

For the top, spread enough marinara to cover the noodles thinly. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan over the top. Cover with foil. Bake covered for 40 minutes. Remove foil carefully (use an oven mitt!) and bake for another 15–20 minutes, until cheese is browned and the lasagna is boiling.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10–15 minutes before serving.

Serves 8.