From The Sopranos · 1999-2007 · Reconstructed
Carmela's Lasagna
Serve when
Serve this as the extra-generous centerpiece when you want Carmela's cooking to be unmistakable.
In the series
Season 4
- S4E5 · ~00:24:00 Janice serves Carmela's lasagna to Bobby's family while claiming the dish as her own
Hosting notes
Lasagna is the more theatrical cousin of the baked ziti. For a smaller watch party, make either this or the ziti. For a full Sunday dinner spread, make both and let guests pick their side.
In the series
The lasagna is pure Carmela: domestic skill so recognizable that someone else trying to claim it becomes part of the drama. It belongs on the page because it carries authorship, family politics, and comfort in one pan.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 375 F. Boil the lasagna noodles in salted water until very al dente, then drain and lay them flat on an oiled sheet pan.
- Brown the sausage in olive oil, breaking it into small pieces. Stir in 4 cups of the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Mix ricotta, egg, half the grated cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Spread a thin layer of plain sauce in a 9x13 baking dish. Add noodles, sausage sauce, ricotta mixture, mozzarella, and a scattering of basil leaves. Repeat the layers.
- Finish with noodles, remaining sauce, mozzarella, and grated cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake until browned and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes more.
- Rest at least 20 minutes before cutting.
Substitutions
- Sweet Italian sausage: Hot Italian sausage works if your crowd likes heat. Ground pork plus 1 teaspoon fennel seed is the closest grocery-store workaround.
- Lasagna noodles: No-boil noodles are fine, but make the sauce a little looser so they hydrate. If using fresh sheets, reduce the covered baking time by about 10 minutes.
- Ricotta: Cottage cheese can substitute if blended smooth and drained. It is tangier and less rich, but it gives the same creamy layer.
- Fresh basil: Use a few spoonfuls of pesto if basil looks tired or expensive. Pesto is stronger and oilier, so dot it lightly instead of spreading a full layer.
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