Serves 6-8

My wife Maya is one of the best Ethiopian cooks that I know. Then she ventured into Italian food—not unusual, really, given the history Ethiopia and Italy have together—and from the first time she prepared this lasagna, it’s been one of my favorite dishes. I love the gaminess that lamb adds, and the creaminess of the ricotta in the sauce. I eat it as often as she’ll make it.

You can make this on Sunday and have it on hand throughout the week. I think it tastes even better a day or two later.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground lamb
1 pound dried lasagna noodles
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
8 basil fresh leaves, chopped, plus more for serving
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, rinse them in cold water, and set aside on kitchen towels.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the lamb, garlic, and onion and cook, stirring often, until the lamb is browned and the onion is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, water, salt, ricotta, and dried oregano. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chopped basil.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

4. Spoon some of the sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and top with a layer of the lasagna. Spread on a layer of the lamb sauce over the pasta and scatter with some of the mozzarella. Continue to layer the pasta, sauce, and cheese, ending with the sauce and mozzarella. You may not need all of the lasagna noodles.

5. Bake the lasagna until it’s hot and bubbling, about 40 minutes. Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes. Rip up some fresh basil leaves and scatter them over the lasagna before serving.

Reprinted with permission. From Marcus Off Duty, by Marcus Samuelsson, published by Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.