Cooking the annual New Year’s Eve lasagna de carne “was always Mami’s territory—until the year I had no choice but to take over,” writes author Elizabeth Acevedo in this essay. In a time of uncertainty in her family, she learned to make the lasagna to “grasp onto a bit of comfort and routine.” This Dominican lasagna packs a wallop of flavor from herby sofrito, which cooks with the ground beef until toasty and caramelized. Stick to regular dried lasagna noodles; they offer a toothsome texture that no-boil noodles can’t match.
What you’ll need
Blender
$49 $40 At Amazon
13x9" Baking Dish
$18 $16 At Amazon
Oven Thermometer
$10 $6 At Amazon
Ladle
$35 $33 At Amazon
Parchment Paper
$4 At Amazon
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$32 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
8 - 10 Servings
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
Assembly
Preparation
Meat Sauce
Step 1
Purée bell pepper, onion, tomato, cilantro, parsley, olives, garlic, Italian seasoning, capers, cumin, black pepper, and 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a blender until sofrito is mostly smooth.
Step 2
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high. Cook beef, tomato paste, bay leaves, and sofrito, breaking up meat and stirring often, until liquid is evaporated and meat is starting to brown, 20–25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in marinara sauce. Season sauce with salt if needed.
Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.
Assembly
Step 3
Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 350°. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook noodles, stirring often, until very al dente, about 4 minutes (noodles will finish cooking in oven). Drain noodles and stack flat in layers, separated by parchment; discard garlic.
Step 4
Lightly oil a 13x9" baking dish. Spread a heaping cupful of sauce in dish. Lay a single layer of noodles over sauce. Spread 1 cup sauce over noodles. Season ricotta with salt and pepper; evenly spread half of ricotta over sauce. Scatter one third of mozzarella over top. Repeat layering process. Finish with remaining sauce, followed by remaining mozzarella. Cover with a lightly oiled piece of foil; set on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch drips).
Step 5
Bake lasagna until bubbling around the edges, 40–45 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 425°. Uncover lasagna and continue to bake until top is golden brown, 15–18 minutes more. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.
Do Ahead: Lasagna can be baked 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat in a 250° oven.
