Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna

SERVES: 12
PREP: 45 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 25 minutes

We can't think of a better combo, tbh.

The cheese pull alone is worth making it for: Lasagna and deep dish pizza are arguably two of the greatest foods ever invented, so in honor of National Pizza Day, we're combining these two cheesy favorites into one delicious mash-up dish. It starts with a quick saute of pepperoni to give the easy homemade marinara sauce a base of savory flavor. Then the sauce gets layered between cooked sheets of pasta, a ricotta mixture, plenty of mozzarella, and then topped off with even more pepperoni! Cut to your guests going back for seconds...and thirds...and fourths...

For the sauce:

2 ½
ounces (about 25 slices) thinly sliced pepperoni
⅓
cup olive oil plus more for coating noodles
1
medium onion, finely diced
6
cloves minced garlic
2
teaspoons dried oregano
2
teaspoons dried thyme
½
teaspoon chili flakes
½
cup tomato paste
1
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2
14-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice
4
teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
½
cup packed fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

For the rest:

1 ½
pounds ricotta cheese
2
eggs
1 cup finely shredded parmigiano reggiano cheese
½
cup finely chopped parsley
½
teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
12
lasagna noodles
3/4
pound (3 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
¾
pound fresh mozzarella, sliced into thin rounds

Make the sauce: Stack five slices of the pepperoni, cut into thin strips, then cut crosswise into tiny pieces. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy saucepan. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until lightly golden, 8 to 9 minutes. Add the garlic, chopped pepperoni, oregano, thyme, and chili flakes and cook, stirring, until the pepperoni renders some of its fat and the garlic is fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until caramelized, 2-3 minutes. Add the crushed and diced tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the salt, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, add the basil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and reduces by about 25 percent, 35-40 minutes (you should have about 7 cups sauce). Season with more salt to taste.

While the sauce is simmering, combine the ricotta, eggs, parm, parsley, remaining 1 ½ teaspoons salt, pepper, and lemon zest in a large bowl and mix to combine. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil in a large pot. Using the package directions as your guide, cook the noodles two minutes less than al dente; drain and coat lightly with oil to prevent sticking.

Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Ladle one cup of the sauce on the bottom of the Cravings 13 x 10 baking pan (or other 9 x 13 inch baking dish). Arrange three noodles lengthwise in the bottom of the pan, ladle another cup of sauce on top of the noodles. Dollop one third of the ricotta mixture on top all over the sauce, then sprinkle with one cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat with another layer of sauce, ricotta mixture, and shredded mozzarella three more times. Top with a final layer of noodles, then with a generous cup of sauce, and evenly distribute the fresh mozzarella rounds on top of the sauce, followed by the remaining two ounces of pepperoni.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese and sauce are bubbly and the pepperoni begins to curl slightly, another 25 to 30 minutes. Raise the oven heat to broil and broil until the top is deep golden, making sure not to burn the top, 3-4 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for 15 minutes, then cut into 12 pieces and serve.

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Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna

We can't think of a better combo, tbh.

For the sauce:

For the rest:

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