The most amazing lasagna recipe is the best Italian style homemade lasagna recipe. The balance between layers of cheese, noodles and homemade bolognese sauce is perfection.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound of sweet Italian sausage
1 pound of lean ground meat
1 large white onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 cans (6 ounces) of tomato paste
1 can (15 ounces) of tomato sauce
2 tablespoons of white sugar
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon of ground oregano
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 pound of lasagna noodles
30 ounces of ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pound of mozzarella cheese in thin slices, about 24 slices.
1 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large pot over medium heat, add the sausage and ground beef. Use a spoon to break the meat into small pieces. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the meat is well browned, stirring constantly. Add the sugar, fresh basil, fennel, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, pepper and 1/4 cup of chopped parsley. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and tomato sauce. Stir well and simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, place the lasagna noodles in the bottom of a pan. Pour hot water from the tap directly over the noodles, making sure the pasta is completely submerged in the water. Leave them to soak for 30 minutes, then drain and discard the water.
In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese with the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and nutmeg. Refrigerate until ready to assemble the lasagna.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 deep frying pan.
To assemble, spread about 1 cup of meat sauce on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place 4 noodles on top. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Cover with 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese slices. Put 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce over the mozzarella, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. Repeat the placement of the layers twice more to create three full layers. To finish, place a last layer of pasta, covered with another 1 cup of meat sauce to cover the pasta. Cover with the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover lightly with aluminum foil.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake 25 more minutes to allow the cheese to brown. Serve hot.