What could be better on a cold snowy night than a pan of homemade lasagna? It’s like a little bite of Heaven. Oh it just hits the spot and the extra time it takes to make the sauce will make you never want to open a jar off the grocer’s chef again. If you’ve never tasted the difference, then you are in for a wonderful surprise. Serve with a salad and garlic bread and it’s a meal fit for a king.
This is my mother’s recipe and any of you have ever tasted her cooking, know that she’s one of the best!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
- 1 lb ground chuck
- 1-1/2 cups minced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
- 2 (6.5-ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tsps dried basil leaves
- 1-1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tsps Italian seasoning
- 1-1/2 tbsp salt
- 1 tsps ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup wine (can substitute broth)
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 16 oz ricotta cheese with 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, red pepper, wine and water; season with sugar, oregano, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1-1/2 tbsp salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adjust seasonings to your tastes.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 tsp salt. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To assemble, spread 1-1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1-1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.
