5-Cheese Lasagna

Ingredients

Cheese Filling

  • 4 cups ricotta cheese
  • 4 oz Romano cheese, grated
  • 2 cups mascarpone cheese
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Ingredients Divided Among the Layers

  • 3 sheets (1½ lbs) fresh pasta sheets, sliced to fit 9" x 13" baking dish
  • 8 cups marinara* (see ingredients below) or favorite red sauce
  • 4 oz Romano cheese, grated
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil
  • 10 oz mozzarella, shredded
  • 1 ball of burrata cheese, sliced

Classic Marinara* - makes 1¼ gallons (5 quarts) of sauce

  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • six 28-oz cans of whole peeled tomatoes (San Marzano recommended)
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • fresh basil leaves, whole or chopped

How-to

Make Marinara (or use your favorite red sauce)

  1. Add canola oil to a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onions and sauté onions until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.  Do not discard pan with oil
  2. Meanwhile in food processor, blend tomatoes for about 30 seconds or until just smooth
  3. Add the pureed tomatoes to the pot with the oil.  Add the cooked onions. Season with salt and pepper
  4. Bring to a boil then lower heat and let simmer for approximately 45-60 minutes over medium-low heat, adding a few (whole or chopped) basil leaves after 45 minutes
  5. Can be used immediately or put in individual containers to use at a later time. Leftovers can be frozen for up to 3 months

Mix Cheese Filling

  1. In a large bowl, combine, ricotta, mascarpone, 6 oz Romano, eggs, salt, pepper and parsley and mix well

Cook Pasta

  1. Boil pasta in salted water for 2-3 minutes
  2. Remove pasta from boiling water and place in cool water bath
  3. Remove pasta from water bath and pat dry

Assemble Layers

  1. Preheat oven to 375º
  2. Spread bottom of a deep lasagna dish with some marinara
  3. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of Romano and half of the basil
  4. Cover with sheets of lasagna, slightly overlapping so that the layer is completely covered with pasta
  5. Spread marinara evenly over noodles. Spoon ⅓ of the filling over the marinara, then sprinkle with mozzarella
  6. Repeat the above process twice more, finishing with pasta and marinara, sprinkle with rest of basil and another 2 oz of Romano.
  7. Slice buratta and lay slices in rows on top of sauce

Bake & Let Rest Before Serving

  1. Cover with foil and place on a baking sheet in case of spillover. Bake for 45 minutes, removing the foil for the last 10 minutes to create a bubbly, golden crust
  2. Remove from oven and cool at least 10 minutes before serving