Lasagna

Almost everyone has their own personal favorite lasagna recipe, but this was just so yummy that I couldn't NOT add it to my personal cookbook. My husband and I love making this because we usually end up freezing half of it and pull it out on days when we just don't feel like cooking up something.

I personally love the meat sauce and can eat it by the spoonful. Thinking about this is making me so hungry right now. Oh and this lasagna is even better the next day. If you decide to make this you won't be disappointed.

Recipe:

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup minced onion
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
½ cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1½ teaspoon dried basil leaves
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
32 ounces Ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Nutmeg
3½ cups mozzarella cheese, grated
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1) In a Dutch oven, cook ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Drain fat. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
2) Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Or, Place your lasagna noodles in a 9×13 baking dish and pour hot tap water over them and let sit for 30 minutes or until noodles are slightly softened. Pour the water off when ready to use.
3) In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, eggs, remaining parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle a couple shakes of nutmeg.
4) Preheat oven to 375°F.
5) To assemble, spread 1½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese. Spoon 1½ cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
6) Cover with foil. To prevent sticking, spray foil with cooking spray.
7) Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Tip: Save yourself the pre-boil noodle step and the hassle of dealing with very fragile cooked noodles by soaking them instead. Note: My lasagna pan only allows me to make 2-layers, adjust the layering for your pan.

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes | Total Time: 3 hours | Yields: 12 servings