Ricotta Lasagne

Ingredients

• 1 lb sweet italian sausage
• ½ lb beef
• ½ onion, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3½ tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1½ tsp basil
• ½ tsp fennel seed
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ cup parsley
• 4 cups canned whole tomatoes, undrained, halved, seeds removed
• 12 oz tomato paste
• ½ cup water
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 16 oz lasagna pasta
• 16 oz mozzarella cheese
• to taste parmesan cheese

Steps

1. Remove the sausage casings.
2. Break the sausage into small bits.
3. Sauté the sausage and ground beef in 5-quart (4.7 L) saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat with onion and garlic until browned.
4. Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, basil, fennel, pepper, and half the parsley.
5. Mix well.
6. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and water, mashing the tomatoes a bit.
7. Bring the sauce to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally for 1½ hours.
8. Preheat the oven to 275 °F (135 °C).
9. Cook and drain the pasta.
10. In a medium bowl mix the ricotta, egg, ½ teaspoon salt and remaining parsley.
11. Assemble your lasagna in a 13×9×2 inches (33×22.9×5.1 centimeters) roasting pan, listed bottom to top.
12. Add a bottom layer of sauce (approx. 1½ cups / 375 g / 13.2 oz).
13. Add a layer of pasta (overlapping slightly).
14. Add a layer of ½ the ricotta mixture.
15. Add a layer of ⅓ of the mozzarella.
16. Add a sauce layer (again, about 1½ cups / 375 g / 13.2 oz).
17. Add a layer of grated Parmesan sprinkled over sauce (not covering the sauce layer entirely).
18. Add a layer of pasta.
19. Add a layer of remaining ricotta.
20. Add a layer of ⅓ of the mozzarella.
21. Add a layer of remaining sauce.
22. Add a layer of sprinkled Parmesan.
23. Add a layer of remaining mozzarella.
24. Cover the lasagna with foil and bake 30 minutes covered.
25. Then bake 25 minutes uncovered (or until bubbly and lightly browned).
26. Cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.