Ingredients
- sweet Italian sausage, 450 g1 lb
- minced beef, 230 g1/2 lb
- onion, chopped fine1/2
- garlic, crushed2 clove
- sugar3 1/2 tbsp
- salt1 tbsp
- dried basil, dried1 1/2 tsp
- fennel seed1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- parsley, chopped; divided1/4 cup
- canned whole tomatoes, 1 kg / 2.2 lb; undrained; halved; seeds removed4 cup
- tomato paste, 340 g12 oz
- water, 125 ml / 4.2 oz1/2 cup
- salt1/2 tbsp
- ricotta cheese, 600 g / 1.3 lb2 cup
- egg1
- lasagna pasta, 450 g16 oz
- mozzarella cheese, 450 g; thinly sliced; a wire cutter is useful for semi-soft cheeses16 oz
- Parmesan cheese, about; grated3 tbsp
Quantities are auto-calculated from the original recipe as a guide. Items without numbers (e.g. “to taste”) are not changed.
Method 21 steps
Remove sausage casings, and break sausage into small bits.
Sauté sausage and ground beef in 5-quart (4.7 L) saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat with onion and garlic until the meat is browned.
Add sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, basil, fennel, pepper, and half the parsley; mix well.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste and water, mashing the tomatoes a bit. Bring the sauce to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally for 1½ hours.
Preheat oven to .
Cook and drain pasta.
In a medium bowl mix ricotta, egg, ½ teaspoon salt and remaining parsley.
Assemble your lasagna in a inch roasting pan (listed bottom to top):
Bottom layer of sauce (approx. 1½ cups / 375 g / 13.2 oz)
Layer of pasta (overlapping slightly)
Layer of ½ the ricotta mixture
Layer of ⅓ of the mozzarella
Sauce layer (again, about 1½ cups / 375 g / 13.2 oz)
Layer of grated Parmesan sprinkled over sauce (not so much that the sauce layer is covered entirely)
Layer of pasta
Layer of remaining ricotta
Layer of ⅓ of the mozzarella
Layer of remaining sauce
Layer of sprinkled Parmesan
Layer of remaining mozzarella
Cover the lasagna with foil and bake 30 minutes covered, then 25 minutes uncovered (or until bubbly and lightly browned). Cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
