Lasagna

Great sauce that can be used universally.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1  lb ground beef
• 1  lb  sweet Italian sausage
• 1⁄2 cup  of chopped onion
• 2  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 2  tablespoons white sugar
• 1  teaspoon fennel seed
• 2  teaspoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 4  tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon  italian seasoning
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 23  ounces ricotta cheese
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  fresh grated nutmeg
• 1  egg
• 1  lb  shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1  cup  grated parmesan cheese
• 12  lasagna noodles

Directions

1. Start with the following in a pot;1 pound of sweet Italian sausage, 1 pound of ground beef, 1/2 cup of chopped onions, 2 cloves of garlic chopped. Brown the ground beef, Italian sausage, onions and garlic in a pot until they start to look. It takes about 6 to 9 minutes to brown the meat. I use a medium low temperature to brown the meat. It is optional to remove the grease from the meat once it is finished browning, your choice.
2. Add the following: 1 (28 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes, 2 (8 ounce) cans of tomato sauce, 2 (6 ounce) cans of tomato paste, 1/2 cup of water. Gently stir this into the cooking meat.
3. Add the following: 2 tablespoons white sugar, 1 teaspoon fennel seed, 2 teaspoons fresh Basil leaves chopped, 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. Gently stir these seasoning into the sauce.
4. Cover the pot and let the meat sauce simmer. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
5. Soak 12 lasagna noodles. The lasagna noodles need to be soaked in hot tap water for 15 minutes.
6. While the noodles are soaking you can make the cheese filling. Put the following in a mixing bowl: 23 ounces of ricotta cheese., 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg. Grate fresh nutmeg over the Ricotta cheese.
7. Add the following: 1 egg, 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped. Mix these ingredients together with a spoon.
8. Now we start building the lasagna layers. Use a 9×13 inch baking pan. Spread 2 Cups of meat sauce on the bottom of the pan. Remove your lasagna noodles out of the water bath. Shake water off wet noodles. Lay 6 noodles across the layer of sauce. Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the layer of noodles. Spread 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese over the ricotta layer. Sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over the mozzarella layer. Spread 2 cups of meat sauce over the cheese layer. Lay down the next layer of noodles. Spread the remaining ricotta mixture over noodles. Spread the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses saving some cheese for the top of the lasagna. Put the last layer of meat sauce on the cheeses. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
9. Cover with foil. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 25 minutes.
10. Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 25 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and allow to cool for approximately 15 minutes.