Restaurant Style Lasagna

Want to know the secret to making restaurant style lasagna at home? #LetsVibe

Italian food is one of my favorite cuisines to enjoy at a restaurant. And one thing about me…I’m ordering the lasagna every time!

But ever noticed how lasagna made at home doesn’t quite hit the same as it does from a restaurant?

Let’s put an end to that today & start making restaurant style lasagna at home! And our 2 secret weapon ingredients? My homemade pasta sauce & creamy béchamel sauce!

Ingredients

5 cups pasta sauce

14-16 lasagna noodles

6 cups italian cheese blend, shredded & divided

8 oz spinach, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic

2 lbs ground turkey

Seasoning Blend

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon granulated onion

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Béchamel Sauce

5 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons ap flour

4 cups milk, warm

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

Prepare meat sauce by sautéeing onions & garlic with olive oil in a sauce pan over medium/high heat, seasoning lightly with salt & pepper

Add ground turkey to sauce pan & cook until browned while crumbling meat as it cooks

Drain excess fat from cooked ground turkey then add already measured seasoning blend, stirring to combine

Add pasta sauce to cooked meat, stir to combine, reduce heat to low & allow to simmer while remaining ingredients are prepared

Spread out dried lasagna noodles in 9x13” baking dish & cover with boiling water then set aside to steep for 30 minutes

After 30 minutes drain partially cooked lasagna noodles, separate & set aside

If noodles stick together, run under hot water while gently separating

Prepare béchamel sauce by melting butter in a sauce pan over medium heat then adding flour & cooking while stirring until sandy brown roux forms

Add warm milk 1 cup at a time to roux while stirring & continue to cook while stirring until béchamel sauce coats the back of a spoon

Remove béchamel sauce from heat then stir in salt, pepper & nutmeg & set aside

Layer lasagna in a 9x13” baking dish beginning with a layer of béchamel sauce

Add lasagna sheets to cover bottom of dish followed by meat sauce, béchamel sauce, shredded cheese blend, then spinach

Repeat layering process 2 additional times, topping final layer with meat sauce, béchamel sauce & shredded cheese blend

Season top layer lightly with salt, pepper & dried oregano

To ease serving, pre-cut lasagna into square portions before baking

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F

Increase oven to broil & bake additional 2-4 minutes until golden brown & bubbly on top

Allow lasagna to rest up to 30 minutes before serving & enjoy!