Lasagna (World's Best)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(V)
Ingredients:
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 2 cans (8 ounces) tomato sauce
- 2 cans (6 ounces) tomato paste
- 1/2 cup water
- few drops Tabasco
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- 2 teaspoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 4 Tablespoons Italian parsley, fresh (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground black
- 23 oz ricotta cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup pesto, optional
- 1 large egg
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 4-5 oz baby spinach, fresh
- 1 box lasagna noodles
Directions:
- Brown the ground beef, Italian sausage, onions and garlic in a pot or Dutch oven on medium low heat until they start to cook. It takes about 6-9 minutes to brown the meat. Optionally, remove the grease from the meat once it is finished browning.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste and water and gently stir into the cooking meat.
- Add the fennel seed, basil leaves, Italian parsley, salt, Italian seasoning and ground pepper. Gently stir these seasonings into the sauce. Add a few drops of Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce.
- Cover the pot and let the meat sauce simmer on low heat for 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- About 15 minutes before the sauce is done cooking, soak the lasagna noodles in hot tap water for 15 minutes.
- While the noodles are soaking, make the cheese filling. Combine the ricotta cheese with the freshly grated nutmeg. Optionally, add 1/2 cup pesto. Add the egg and fresh Italian parsley. Mix thoroughly.
- Use a 9x13 inch baking pan to build the lasagna layers. Spread 2 cups of meat sauce on the bottom of the pan. Remove the lasagna noodles from the water bath and shake off the wet noodles. Lay 6 noodles across the layer of sauce. Spread a third of the ricotta cheese mixture over the layer of noodles. Spread a third of the mozzarella cheese over the ricotta layer. Sprinkle a third of the Parmesan over the mozzarella layer. Spread a third of the fresh baby spinach leaves in a single layer on top of the cheeses.
- Repeat this step of layering meat sauce, noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach until all of the noodles have been placed. On the last layer of noodles, spread the last of the ricotta, some mozzarella and Parmesan (reserving a little cheese for the top). Spread the last of the meat sauce, and top with the last of the mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven at 350° for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for approximately 15 minutes before serving.