Rich Meat Ragu Lasagna with roasted peppers and Feta
tender fresh pasta with creamy rich Ragu sauce
It just so happens that making this lasagna is very easy — I mean, if you have the ragu, of course...
On the other hand, I wouldn't go that far and make a ragu for a few hours just for a lasagna. This sauce is so rich that I love it on pasta, on toast, or just eating it straight from the saucepan.
Let's make an easy ragu lasagna guidelines
My advice is to make this lasagna from ragu leftovers, not from the main batch. After all, we don't want to slave in the kitchen for 8 hours — what's the fun in that? When making a ragu sauce, always go for a big batch. You can use it for a week across all kinds of dishes, and afterwards just freeze it for up to 3 months. It keeps great in the freezer, and you can have an effortless dinner with a quality sauce in no time. For this lasagna I make fresh pasta sheets, and I encourage you to do the same. It's not difficult and the taste is just divine. That said, if you don't have the time or patience for it, go for dry pasta sheets — it's perfectly good and you'll still end up with a great lasagna, plus save some extra time.Getting to work
If you're rolling your own fresh pasta, roll it to a thin layer. I use the 7 mark on my pasta machine (out of 9) and create 3 layers of pasta with the ragu sauce in between. I don't use cheese in the inner layers. I want the meat to shine and be the dominant flavor here — no background noise. This is the kind of sauce that deserves center stage, no need to mess with that. I added peppers on top for 2 reasons. When you're not using any bechamel sauce, you need to protect the lasagna sheets from drying out and going stiff. Coating the pasta with peppers, olive oil, and feta does that job. The other reason is that the combination of peppers and feta with the ragu lasagna is just heaven — try it and you'll see what I mean. This lasagna has a big title, but it's not dense. It's actually pretty light and won't have you looking for the closest bed to take a nap.Method
- 1
making the fresh pasta leaves· 20 minutes
Make the fresh pasta leaves according to this <a href="https://cookincity.com/fresh-pasta-dough/">detailed instructions</a> . Divide the pasta into 3 parts, each part will be rolled into a different layer. The pasta sheets can be made in advance or during the preparation of the pasta when you roll the pasta for each layer. Don't make the paste too thin, we want to feel the dough texture in every bite, I used number 7 on the machine, number 6 is perfectly fine as well. The fresh pasta does not need to be cooked.
- 2
adding the sauce and 2 more layers of pasta· 15 minutes
Preheat the oven to 180°c/350°F. Pour the ragu sauce on the 1st sheet of the pasta, try to make a thick layer of sauce, remember, a thin layer will be fully absorbed by the pasta and it will turn out dry, the liquids of the sauce will cook the pasta in the oven. Keep on for 2 more layers, in the middle layer spread the tomato slices evenly and then add the ragu sauce on top.
- 3
topping the lasagna· 5 minutes
Slice the bell peppers into big chunks and spread over the top pasta sheets. Break the feta by hand and spread on top of the peppers and drizzle olive oil on top.
- 4
baking and serving· 45 minutes
Place the lasagna in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 45 minutes until the peppers are nice and brown on the top. Let the lasagna cool for 20 minutes and serve hot.
Jaron Kimhi
Jaron Kimhi — self-taught home cook from Tel Aviv, writing and cooking every recipe on this site himself. 20+ years of tinkering in the kitchen, leaning toward slow cooking, classic technique, and honest ingredients.
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