Ingredients
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1 lb sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)
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3/4 lb lean ground beef
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1/2 cup onion, minced
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4 garlic cloves, minced
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1/2-1 teaspoon anchovy paste or 1/2-1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
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28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
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12 ounces canned tomato paste
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12 -15 ounces canned tomato sauce
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1/2 cup dry white wine or 1/2 cup water
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1 tablespoon brown sugar or 1 tablespoon white sugar
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1 1/2 tablespoons fresh basil, roughly chopped
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1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
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1 teaspoon italian seasoning
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1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
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1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
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2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, roughly chopped
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cooking spray
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12 lasagna noodles
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16 ounces ricotta cheese
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1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
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2 eggs
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2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1 lb sliced deli-style mozzarella cheese
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1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- SAUCE:
- In a large, heavy pot, cook sausage, ground beef until browned. Drain sausage and ground beef and reserve, leaving 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan. Cook onion over medium heat until well-browned (maybe 5 minutes?), but do not burn. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds (if garlic burns, it turns bitter).
- Add drained sausage and ground beef back to pan. Stir in anchovy paste, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and wine/sherry/water. Now stir in sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons roughly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. (If you use an enameled cast iron Dutch oven, give yourself a pat on the back.). (The simmering cooks the sauce down to a very thick consistency.).
- Let sauce cool, then refrigerate in a covered non-reactive dish overnight to let the flavors meld.
- LASAGNA:
- Soak raw, hard noodles in a large roasting pan with VERY hot tap water for 20-30 minute (Noodles won't be cooked but soft, and can complete its cooking in the oven.).
- (Alternatively, you may instead bring a large pot of water to a boil, seasoned with kosher salt. Boil lasagna noodles for 8-10 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water.).
- In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with eggs, 2 tablespoons parsley, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of the 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce on top, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
- For second layer: spread 1 1/2 cups meat sauce, 6 noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 cups sauce, remaining half of mozzarella slices, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Tear off aluminum foil to cover pan. Spray foil with cooking spray.
- Bake for 25 minutes, covered with foil, at 375 degrees F.
- Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes.
- Cool 15-20 minutes before serving.