Three Meat Lasagna

This is just a variation of my own lasagna recipe. I say variation because I make it differently every time depending on what I have on hand and my mood. This is the first time I've written my lasagna recipe down. Although I have made literally thousands of pans of lasagna throughout my years (I worked as a cook), I find this one perfectly acceptable (and I consider myself a lasagna snob). So you should certainly enjoy this, if not make it the only lasagna recipe you make from now on.

• Ready In: 1 hr 40 mins
• Serves: 9-12

Ingredients

• sauce

• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  large sweet onion, chopped
• 1  lb ground beef
• 1⁄2 lb bulk Italian sausage
• 3 -4  cloves garlic, minced
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh basil or 2  teaspoons dried basil
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh oregano or 1  teaspoon dried oregano
• 2  tablespoons  chopped parsley
• 1  teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 6  ounces tomato paste
• 2  tablespoons brown sugar

• filling

• 12  pieces  uncooked  lasagna noodles
• 2 (15 ounce) containers ricotta cheese
• 2  large eggs
• 1⁄4 cup  grated parmesan cheese (for ricotta)
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 2  tablespoons  chopped parsley
• 16  ounces  grated mozzarella cheese
• 8  ounces  thinly sliced  pepperoni
• 1⁄4 cup  grated parmesan cheese (to garnish)

Directions

1. Cook onion in olive oil in a large skillet until tender, several minutes.
2. Add garlic, ground beef, italian sausage, basil, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper to pan and cook until meat is thoroughly browned and breaking up lumps as it cooks.
3. Drain fat.
4. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, and brown sugar to pan, mixing well.
5. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles in plenty of boiling salted water for ten minutes, then drain.
7. In a mixing bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, eggs, parmesan, salt, pepper, and parsley until smooth.
8. Preheat oven to 375°F.
9. In a large lasagna baking pan, place 1/3-1/2 of meat sauce in bottom of pan (just enough to cover).
10. On top of the meat sauce in pan, layer the lasagna as follows: 4 noodles (to cover pan), 8 ounces shredded mozzarella, 4 ounces sliced pepperoni, 4 more noodles, ricotta cheese mixture, 4 more noodles, remaining meat sauce mixture, 8 ounces mozzarella, 4 ounces of pepperoni, and 1/4 cup parmesan.
11. If any corners of noodles try to stick up past the sauce in the pan, tuck them under the sauce.
12. Bake at 375F for 30-40 minutes or until heated through and cheese is golden and bubbly.
13. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.