• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sauce:

• Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
• When the oil is hot, add the garlic, and cook until it’s just golden on the edges, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, slosh out the can with 1½ cups of water, and add that to the pan. Season the sauce with the red pepper flakes and salt. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in the chopped basil. You should have about 6 to 6½ cups sauce.

Lasagna:

• While the sauce is simmering, prepare the lasagna sheets according to the instructions. Once they are done, layer the thin sheets of pasta without touching, on the floured towels. You should have twelve long sheets of dough.
• For the filling, stir together the ricotta, grated cheese, eggs, parsley, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well to combine.
• When you are ready to assemble the lasagna, butter a 4- quart lasagna pan. Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
• Pick out the two longest sheets of pasta and lay them in the baking dish so they overlap in the center of the dish and the ends of the pasta sheets flop over the short sides of the baking dish.
• Spread another ½ cup sauce over the pasta. Fit two more pasta sheets in the dish, perpendicular to the first layer and flopping over the long sides of the dish. (After these two layers, the pasta should no longer go over the sides— cut the cooked pasta as you are layering the lasagna and fold to fit the pasta to the dimensions of the dish.)
• Spread another ½ cup of sauce over the pasta and spread with half of the filling. Layer with half of the sliced mozzarella, and sprinkle with ½ cup grated Grana Padano. Make another layer of pasta, cutting and folding to fit the dish. Continue until you’ve utilized all lasagna sheets, cheese and sauce.
• Then cut and fold a final layer of pasta on top of the sauce to seal the lasagna. Fold the flopping edges over the top and spread with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining grated Grana Padano.
• Tent the lasagna with foil (making sure it doesn’t touch the top), place on a sheet pan to catch drips, and bake until the edges of the lasagna are bubbly, about 45 minutes.
• Uncover, and bake until the top is golden and crusty, about 30 minutes more. Let the lasagna rest about 20 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. The lasagna cuts best when it has rested and cooled.

Inspired by Lidia’s Italy