Lasagna

I probably tried making a dozen lasagna recipes before settling on this one. It's by far the most savory and authentic lasagna out there. I've served this for several different friends and family, and they all agree, it's the best! I won't lie, it's a bit time consuming. If you're looking for something you can just throw together quickly, I would not recommend cutting corners to get there. Simmering time is very, very important for this lasagna. That said, here's what you'll need:

1 lb. sweet italian sausage 1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 lb. lean ground beef 4 tbsp. fresh parsley

1/2 c. minced onion 12 lasagna noodles

2 cloves minced garlic 16 oz. ricotta cheese

28 oz. crushed tomatoes 1 egg

12 oz. tomato paste 1/2 tsp. salt

13 oz. tomato sauce 3/4 lb. shredded mozzarella

1/2 c. water 3/4 c. grated parmesan

2 tbsp. white sugar

1 1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tbsp. salt

I cheated with a couple of ingredients.

Cook sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic until browned. Stir in tomato ingredients and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp. salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp. parsley. Simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Sauce

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook lasagna for 8-10 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water.

Combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 tsp. of salt.

Ricotta Cheese Mixture

Layer meat sauce, noodles, cheese mixture, mozzarella, parmesan. Repeat until ingredients are gone. Top with any remaining mozzarella and parmesan.

Ready to go in the oven!

Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 25 minutes.

All done, yummy!