The Best Turkey Lasagna

Step 1

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Meanwhile, arrange 15 dry lasagna noodles in an even layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover the noodles with hot tap water and let soak while you prepare the cheeses and meat sauce, about 20 minutes.

Step 2

Dice 1 medium yellow onion. Coarsely chop 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves (plus more for garnish if desired). Grate 12 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese on the large holes of a box grater (about 3 cups). Finely grate 2 ounces Parmesan cheese (about 1 packed cup).

Step 3

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch or larger regular or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, 1 pound ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper. Cook, breaking the turkey up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.

Step 4

Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place half of the Parmesan cheese, parsley, 15 to 16 ounces ricotta cheese, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl and stir to combine.

Step 5

Drain the lasagna noodles and set aside. Spread a thin layer of the marinara sauce from a 32-ounce jar into the baking dish. Stir the remaining sauce into the ground turkey mixture.

Step 6

Arrange 5 lasagna noodles in an even layer on top of the sauce, breaking them if needed to fit (it’s okay if the noodles overlap slightly). Dollop and spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Dollop and spread about 2 cups of the meat sauce on the ricotta, then sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella.

Step 7

Arrange 5 more noodles over the mozzarella, followed by the remaining ricotta mixture, 2 cups of the meat sauce, and 1 cup of the mozzarella. Top with a remaining 5 noodles and the remaining sauce, spreading the sauce thin so that it almost completely covers the noodles. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and Parmesan.

Step 8

Bake uncovered until the cheeses are melted and lightly browned, and the sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with more chopped fresh parsley leaves, if desired.