📖 Instructions

1. First, get your oven preheating to 375°F (190°C). This ensures even baking. Trust me, a cold start is not our friend today.
2. Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add your elbow macaroni and cook according to package directions until al dente. This is super importnant. Drain it well, because nobody likes watery mac! Set aside. Maybe give it a little shimmy in the colander to ensure you got all that water out. It's the little things, ya know?
3. Prepare the meat sauce: In a large skillet or pot, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat. Drain any excess fat (we don’t need that negativity in our mac!). Add the diced onion and garlic, cook until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. This allows the flavors to meld together beautifully. Sometimes, I like to add a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity, but that's totally optional.
4. Make the cheese sauce: While the meat sauce simmers, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. This creates a roux, which thickens the sauce. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Taste it, and adjust seasonings as needed. It’s your mac, after all!
5. Combine: Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir to coat. Gently fold in half of the meat sauce. Reserve the other half for layering. Give it a good mix, making sure every noodle gets its fair share of cheesy goodness. This is where it starts to feel real, folks.
6. Assemble the lasagna: Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread a thin layer of the remaining meat sauce on the bottom of the dish. Layer half of the macaroni and cheese mixture over the meat sauce. Sprinkle with half of the ricotta cheese. Repeat layers: remaining meat sauce, remaining macaroni and cheese, and remaining ricotta cheese. Top with a generous sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. This cheese blanket is what dreams are made of.
7. Bake: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown. Keep a close eye on it – nobody wants burnt cheese!
8. Rest: Let the lasagna mac and cheese rest for 10 minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to settle and the cheese to firm up a bit. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. And then, dig in! You’ve earned it.