Lasagna

The crowd-pleaser. Beef and sausage, three cheeses, feeds an army.

Prep: 45 min Cook: 2½ hrs Serves: 12

Ingredients

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  • Meat Sauce: 1 lb ground beef, 1 lb Italian sausage, 1 onion diced, 4 garlic cloves minced, 28 oz crushed tomatoes, 12 oz tomato paste, 15 oz tomato sauce, ½ cup water, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp fresh basil chopped, salt and pepper
  • Ricotta Mixture: 30 oz ricotta cheese, 1 egg, ½ cup fresh parsley chopped, ½ tsp salt
  • Assembly: 12 lasagna noodles, 1 lb mozzarella sliced (not shredded), 1 cup parmesan grated

Instructions

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  1. Brown beef and sausage in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Drain fat. Add onion, cook . Add garlic, cook .
  2. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, water, sugar, fennel, Italian seasoning, and basil. Simmer uncovered 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
  3. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package. Drain and lay flat on oiled sheet to prevent sticking.
  4. Mix ricotta with egg, parsley, and salt in a bowl.
  5. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  6. Layer in 9x13 pan: 1½ cups sauce, 4 noodles, ⅓ ricotta mixture, ⅓ mozzarella slices. Repeat 2 more times. Top with remaining sauce and parmesan.
  7. Cover with foil. Bake . Remove foil, bake more until bubbly.
  8. Rest before cutting (this is crucial for clean slices).

Notes

  • Why 1½ hours for sauce? The long simmer mellows acidity and develops deep flavor. Don't skip it.
  • Sliced vs shredded mozzarella: Sliced melts in distinct creamy layers. Shredded clumps.
  • Make ahead: Assemble, cover, refrigerate overnight. Add 15 min to bake time if cold.
  • Storage: Keeps 5 days refrigerated. Freezes beautifully for 3 months.

Adapted from AllRecipes "World's Best Lasagna" (9.5/10 in taste tests)