Meaty Lasagne

1. Put at least 5 quarts of water in a stockpot, bring it to a boil, and salt it. (If your pot isn’t that big, cook the noodles in 2 batches.) When the water comes to a boil, add the noodles one at a time and cook, stirring frequently and gently, to the point where they just become pliable but are still quite underdone, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain the noodles carefully in a colander, then lay them flat on paper towels or clean dish towels. (Repeat with the second batch of noodles if necessary.) Heat the oven to 400°F.
2. Taste the sauce and make sure it has enough salt and pepper. Smear the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with the oil and one-quarter of the meat sauce, then put in a layer of noodles, touching but not overlapping, trimming them as necessary. Dot about half of the ricotta over the noodles, then smear with another quarter of the meat sauce. Top with one-third of the mozzarella, one third of the Parmesan, and a grinding of black pepper.
3. Repeat for one more layer; for the third layer, smear meat sauce directly on the noodles and end with the Parmesan. (At this point, you may refrigerate the dish for a day, well wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap or freeze it for a month; defrost in the refrigerator for a day before cooking.)
4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the lasagne is bubbly and hot in the center. Remove the dish from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving. (Or let cool completely, cover well, and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to a month.).

—Recipe from How to Cook Everything: The Basics