World’s Best Lasagna

The sauce for this recipe is outstanding.  Make it a day ahead for the flavors to develop.  And it can also be used for many other pasta dishes.

For sauce

• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
• 3/4 – 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (6-oz.) cans tomato paste
• 1 (15-oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 3/4 – 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

For lasagna

• 12 lasagna noodles
• 16 oz. ricotta cheese (I used 32 oz.)
• 1 egg (I used 2)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 16 oz. sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1.  In a large, heavy pot, cook sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until well-browned.  Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and water.  Stir in sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and parsley.  Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

2.  Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Boil lasagna noodles for 8 to 10 minutes.  Drain noodles and rinse with cold water.  In a mixingt bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, parsley and salt.

3.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

4.  Spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.  Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce.  Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture.  Top with half the mozzarella cheese.  Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Continue layering:  1 1/2 cups sauce, 6 noodles, remaining ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan, 1 1/2 cups sauce, remaining half of mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Cover with foil; to prevent sticking, spray foil with cooking spray so cheese doesn’t stick to the foil.

Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes.  Cool 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Serves 12.

Makes 7 cups sauce.

(I didn’t use all the sauce or all the ricotta mixure.)

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