ADVERTISEMENT
Classic Meat Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients:
- For the Meat Sauce:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans (28 oz each) crushed tomatoes
- 2 cans (6 oz each) tomato paste
- 2 cans (15 oz each) tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- For the Cheese Mixture:
- 32 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- For Assembly:
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
- Prepare the Meat Sauce:
- In a large pot, cook the ground beef, Italian sausage, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Drain any excess fat.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water.
- Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and parsley.
- Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Prepare the Cheese Mixture:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese with the egg, parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well.
- Cook the Noodles:
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
- Cook the lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. Lay the noodles out on a clean kitchen towel to cool and dry.
- Assemble the Lasagna:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- 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 the 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 the Lasagna:
- Bake in preheated oven for
