Lasagna featuring slow simmered rich meat sauce and layers of mozzarella, parmesan and ricotta cheese. Great meal for a crowd!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: food for a crowd
Servings: 12
Ingredients
1poundsweet Italian sausage
1poundlean ground beef
1/2cupchopped onion
2clovesminced garlic
128 ounce can crushed tomatoes
28 ounce cans tomato sauce
26 ounce cans tomato paste
1/2cupwater
2tables white sugar
1 1/2teaspoonsdried basil leaves
1/2teaspoonfennel seed
1teaspoonItalian seasoning
1tablespoonsalt
1/2teaspoonground black pepper
4tablespoonschopped fresh parsleydivided
12lasagna noodles
16ouncesricotta cheese
1egglightly beaten
1/2teaspoonsalt
16ouncessliced mozzarella cheese
1cupshredded or grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
In dutch, oven cook sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley. Simmer covered for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook lasagna noodles according to package directions (about 10 minutes.) Drain noodles and rinse with cold water.
In a mixing bowl combine ricotta cheese with lightly beaten egg and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
To assemble, spread 2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish (I recommend glass.) Arrange 4 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with 1/2 of the ricotta mixture. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 2 cups of meat sauce over mozzarella and sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan. Top with 4 more noodles, spread remaining ricotta mixture and top with 1/3 of the mozzarella. Top with 2 cups meat sauce and last 4 noodles, If you have any remaining sauce ladle that on top and then top remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover pan with foil which has been sprayed with cooking spray to prevent the cheese from sticking.
Bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 - 20 minutes prior to cutting and serving. Note - my 9x13 pan was very full so I placed it on a baking sheet before putting it in the oven.
Notes
If you want to make this a day in advance, refrigerate after assembling. Then remove and let set on the counter for 1 hour before baking. Finish baking according to instructions above. You can also make the lasagna in advance and freeze, if you are not serving it the next day. In this case, increase baking time to 2 hours, leaving it covered until last 30 minutes.