BA's Best Lasagna

This lasagna recipe has “rainy Sunday cooking project” written all over it. But, if you’re short on time, you can make both the bechamel and the ragu earlier in the week and pop them into the fridge. You can also make a full tray of this lasagna in advance and freeze it unbaked. Once you do bake it, you’ll be grateful for the leftovers—reheat them uncovered in a 350 degree oven until warmed through and there are crispy bits around the edges.

The secret weapon here is the ragu. Still, you might ask: why in the world would we tell you to make meatballs, brown them, and then break them into pieces after simmering for hours—for a ragù? Sounds crazy, but it’s the best way we found to sear a big batch of meat without overcooking it. This MeatballMethod™ yields deep color (a.k.a. flavor) along with tender meat. If you want to use fresh pasta, go for it. We also tested the recipe with no-boil noodles, but found they soak up a lot more sauce and the lasagna loses its wonderful ooziness; instead, we recommend the regular dried stuff.

Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published February 7, 2018.