World’s Best Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
¾ pound lean ground beef
½ cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
½ cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided, or to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
¾ pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

-Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water. Season with sugar, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and pepper. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

-Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

-To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

-Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Rest lasagna for 15 minutes before serving.