First cook the lasagna noodles. Bring a large pot (that is big enough to submerge lasagna noodles) of water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and stir periodically. Strain the noodles from the water when they are a bit undercooked (a little less than al dente). The noodles will continue to cook in the oven.

Lay the lasagna noodles flat on a tea towel and drizzle them with olive oil so they do not stick together. Set them aside for later.

Prepare the meat sauce. Heat a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium/high heat. Add the ground beef.

Break the ground beef up into small pieces and cook the beef for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning, salt, and onion to the skillet and toss the ingredients with the beef. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Add the garlic to the meat, toss, and cook for 1 minute and then add the crushed tomatoes and the tomato paste to the pan. Whisk the tomato paste into the crushed tomatoes and toss all the ingredients together.

Bring the meat sauce to a boil and then turn the heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the tomato sauce reduces by about half. You want the sauce to be more meat than liquid.

Meanwhile, make the bechamel sauce. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter to the saucepan.

When the butter is melted, add the flour to the saucepan and whisk the two ingredients together to create a roux. Allow the roux to cook for 1-2 minutes and then slowly drizzle the whole milk into the saucepan while whisking.

The milk should thicken within a few minutes and turn into a beautiful bechamel sauce. Add the salt to the sauce and stir. When the sauce is thick and creamy, remove the sauce from the heat.

Prepare the cheese for the top of the lasagna. Add the mozzarella, parmesan, and the last two tablespoons of Italian seasoning to a bowl and toss to combine. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray or wipe the casserole dish with olive oil.

Assemble the lasagna. Scoop ½ cup in the meat sauce onto the bottom of the casserole dish and spread it out.

Next, lay 4 lasagna noodles on top of the meat sauce, making sure they overlap at the edges. Pour another ½ cup of the meat sauce on top of the noodles and spread it out with a spatula. Add ½ cup of bechamel sauce over the meat sauce and spread it out with a spatula. Repeat this layering until you reach the top of the casserole dish.

Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese mixture on top of the lasagna.

Cover the lasagna with tin foil and bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the cover and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the top of the lasagna is golden brown and the edges are bubbling.

Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing it into large pieces.

Garnish the lasagna with fresh chopped parsley or basil and enjoy.