Teena's Famous Lasagna

My children love this recipe and think this is the best lasagna...light and flavourful.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 20 mins
• Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1  lb  ground veal
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 6  ounces chicken broth (or water)
• 2 (24 ounce) cans tomato sauce (reserve 1 cup sauce for assembly)
• 5 -6  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  onion, finely chopped
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 5 -7  sprigs fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1  pinch  dried  italian seasoning mix
•  salt & pepper, to taste
• 2 1⁄2 cups  grated mozzarella cheese (1 lb)
• 2  cups  grated Fontina cheese (8 oz)
• 1 3⁄4  ups finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (3-1/2 oz)
• 2  cups whole milk ricotta cheese (1 lb) (optional)
• 8 -10  fresh lasagna  noodle sheets

Directions

1. TOMATO SAUCE.
2. In a large stockpot, sauté the garlic, and onion until soft and fragrant in the olive oil, about 2 minutes.
3. Add ground meat in with the onion mixture and sauté until the meat is browned and cooked thoroughly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Pour in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, sugar and fresh basil. Stir to mix well. Add the chicken broth or water.
5. Let mixture simmer, uncovered for 2 or more hours, stirring occasionally.
6. ASSEMBBLY.
7. Position a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
8. Set aside 1 cup of plain tomato sauce. If using the Ricotta cheese, combine the Ricotta cheese with the completed meat sauce, then set aside. Mix the Mozzarella, Fontina & 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in another bowl.
9. Spread 1/2 cup of the reserved plain tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Cover the sauce with a layer of cooked noodles slightly overlapping layer of cooked noodles, cutting them as need to fill any gaps.
10. Evenly spread 1-1/2 cups of the meat or ricotta mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle 1 rounded cup of the grated cheese mixture evenly over the meat sauce.
11. Add another layer of noodles, and repeat the layers as instructed above to make a total of 4 meat & cheese layers and 5 pasta layers.
12. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup plain sauce evenly over the top noodle layer. Sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
13. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top is browned and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.