Name: Mamá Rosa’s Lasagna de Carne
Yield: 8 - 10 Servings
Ingredients: ½ red bell pepper, coarsely chopped; 1 small onion, coarsely chopped; 1 plum tomato, coarsely chopped; 4 sprigs cilantro; 2 sprigs parsley; 5 large black olives, pitted; 5 garlic cloves; 2 tsp. Italian seasoning; 1 tsp. drained capers, rinsed; ½ tsp. ground cumin; ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper; 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more; 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 2 lb. ground beef chuck (10% fat); 1 Tbsp. tomato paste; 2 bay leaves; 1 24-oz. jar marinara sauce; Kosher salt; 3 garlic cloves, smashed; ½ tsp. Italian seasoning; 8 oz. dried lasagna noodles; Extra-virgin olive oil (for greasing); 1 lb. ricotta; Freshly ground black pepper; 12 oz. low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely grated (about 3 cups)

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Photograph by Emma Fishman. Food styling by Pearl Jones.

Cooking the annual New Year’s Eve lasagna de carne “was always Mami’s territory—until the year I had no choice but to take over,” writes author Elizabeth Acevedo in this essay. In a time of uncertainty in her family, she learned to make the lasagna to “grasp onto a bit of comfort and routine.” This Dominican lasagna packs a wallop of flavor from herby sofrito, which cooks with the ground beef until toasty and caramelized. Stick to regular dried lasagna noodles; they offer a toothsome texture that no-boil noodles can’t match.