A delicious loaded Lasagna from a traditional recipe of Southern Italy. Lasagna Napoletana is a meatball and cheese lasagna with tomato sauce, tiny meatballs and 4 types of cheese.
Add all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a fork or preferably with your hands.
With a teaspoon, scoop out the meatball mixture and roll it into tiny balls between your palms.
Lay the meatballs on a baking sheet, keeping them at least ½ inch (1-2 cm) apart.
Bake in the preheated over for about 20 minutes.
Make the tomato sauce
In a pot, drizzle some olive oil and add the chopped onion. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the onion starts becoming translucent.
Add the tomato purée, the water, the basil leaves, and season with salt and black pepper.
Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Assemble the lasagna
Increase the temperature of the oven to 410°F (210°C).
On a baking dish (I used a 4 qt 12"x9"), spread a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce on the bottom, then layer the pasta.
Cover the pasta with tomato sauce, and add the Provola cheese, and ricotta in dollops (if you prefer, you can also mix the ricotta with the tomato sauce in advance).
Add the meatballs, the mozzarella cheese, and grated Parmigiano cheese.
Repeat the layers until you get to the top of the baking dish. Finish the last layer with tomato sauce and all the cheese, with abundant Parmigiano cheese to get a nice crust.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Notes
Should I cook the pasta before layering the lasagna?You have several options, depending on the type and brand of pasta you buy. Some pasta brands sell dried Lasagna sheets pasta that doesn't need boiling first, while some do. Since in this lasagna there is quite some sauce, you should not have any issues using dried pasta without boiling first, but it's a risky business. If you want to be 100% sure you'll get a perfectly cooked lasagna, I recommend using fresh pasta or to boil the lasagna sheets before using. In general, check the packaging and follow the instructions for the best result.