1Combine ground sirloin, pork sausage, and prosciutto in a bowl and shape into 5 or 6 large meat balls.
2Add olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, brown the meatballs for about a minute on each side in batches, not overcrowding the pan.
3Reduce heat, add onions and salt. Cook until translucent (5-7 minutes).
4Add garlic, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, and crushed fennel seeds. Sauté until fragrant.
5Add tomato paste and stir frequently until the color turns a dark red (3-4 minutes).
6Deglaze the pan with red wine (or beef stock/water). Scrape up all flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.
7Add San Marzano tomatoes and passata. Add a whole carrot (to absorb acidity and add sweetness). Stir in butter.
8Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
9Discard the carrot and use a potato masher to crush the meatballs into smaller pieces.
10Season the sauce more to taste and add a teaspoon of sugar if needed. Stir in fresh basil leaves (hand-torn).
11In a separate pan, melt the butter until it starts to foam.
12Add flour and cook until there are no lumps and the roux hasn't browned (about 3 minutes).
13Slowly add milk while whisking until evenly incorporated. Add salt, garlic powder, and nutmeg, and keep whisking until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
14Turn off the heat, and stir in grated Parmesan cheese.
15Grease the baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Make the first layer with meat sauce, to prevent noodles from sticking to the pan.
16Add lasagna noodles. Soak noodles in hot water and olive oil for 5-10 minutes until softened, before adding to the dish.
17Add béchamel sauce, meat sauce, fontina, mozzarella. Repeat layers 4 times, ending with a layer of noodles and béchamel sauce.
18Top with remaining fontina and fresh mozzarella cheese. Add grated Parmesan.
19Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
20Remove foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.
Ingredients
0.5 pound ground sirloin
0.5 pound pork sausage
1 slice prosciutto
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onions
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon tomato paste
0.5 cup red wine
1 can whole san marzano tomatoes
1 bottle passata (strained tomatoes)
1 whole carrot
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
12 lasagna noodles
3 cups béchamel sauce
1 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1 cup fontina cheese
1 cup fresh mozzarella cheese
Equipment
large potbaking dishwhiskpotato mashermortar and pestleknife