NEAPOLITAN LASAGNA – Traditional Neapolitan Lasagna Recipe with Meatballs

When people talk about Neapolitan recipes, they immediately think of bold flavors, generous portions and bright colors, characteristics not only of the cuisine but of the entire culture of Campania. So here is the recipe for Neapolitan lasagna, a dish that has many variations and adaptations. However, I propose the simplest version – so you can always enrich it as you like!

Ingredients for 6 people

Meatballs:
300 g / 10.58 oz minced meat
100 g / 3.52 oz bread
Milk to taste
½ clove of garlic
Salt, Pepper, Parsley to taste
2 tbsp cheese

Tomato Sauce:

700 g / 24.69 oz tomato sauce or puree
Olive oil to taste
1 clove of garlic
Basil
Salt, pepper to taste

Filling
the ready-made meatballs
the ready-made sauce
2 mozzarellas
250 g / 8.81 oz ricotta cheese
4 hard-boiled eggs
grated cheese
100 g / 3.52 oz diced salami
Lasagna sheets

How to make it:

Start by making the sauce. You can use a simple tomato sauce or the classic Neapolitan ragout. I prefer a quick sauce.

In a large pot (8-9 inches), heat two turns of oil with a clove of minced garlic. When golden brown, add the tomato puree. Rinse the bottle with a glass of water and pour it into the pot. Season with salt and pepper, add a few basil leaves and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes.

Dice the bread and place in a bowl. Soak them in milk a little at a time, squeezing them with your hands until they are completely softened. Add the other ingredients and knead well until smooth.

If you are using raw meat, you do not need to add the egg. Form meatballs the size of hazelnuts and place them on a baking sheet. Flour them and fry them, or brush them with a little oil and bake them in the oven with the grill at 200°C / 392°F for 2-3 minutes.

Dice the salami and set everything aside next to a large baking dish. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.

Now let’s assemble our lasagna. Pour a first layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish to prevent the lasagna from sticking. Then start layering:

One layer of sauce, like a pizza.
Plenty of meatballs.
One crumbled hard-boiled egg per layer.
Scattered spoonfuls of ricotta cheese.
Shredded mozzarella cheese.
A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
One layer of pasta.
Repeat for at least four layers or until you run out of ingredients. Be generous!
For the pasta, you can use ready-made fresh pasta from the refrigerator, or lasagna that has been rolled up at the edges and blanched and cooled.
Finish with a final layer of Just sauce and plenty of Parmesan cheese.

To bake:
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C / 356°F for about 30 minutes.
Magic.