Mamá Rosa’s Lasagna de Carne

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.