Ricotta Lasagne

• 1 lb (450 g) sweet Italian sausage
• ½ lb (230 g) minced (ground) beef
• ½ onion, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3½ tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1½ tsp dried basil
• ½ tsp fennel seed
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped parsley, divided
• 4 cups (1 kg / 2.2 lb) canned whole tomatoes, undrained, halved, seeds removed
• 12 oz (340 g) tomato paste
• ½ cup (125 ml / 4.2 oz) water
• ½ tbsp salt
• 2 cups (600 g / 1.3 lb) ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 16 oz (450 g) lasagna pasta
• 16 oz (450 g) mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (a wire cutter is nice for semi-soft cheeses like this)
• about 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Ingredients for 12 servings (3.9 kg) · the original recipeShow how each ingredient was counted

Method

1. 1

   Remove sausage casings, and break sausage into small bits.

2. 2

   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.

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3. 3

   Add sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, basil, fennel, pepper, and half the parsley; mix well.

4. 4

   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.

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5. 5

   Preheat oven to 275 F.

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6. 6

   Cook and drain pasta.

7. 7

   In a medium bowl mix ricotta, egg, ½ teaspoon salt and remaining parsley.

8. 8

   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

9. 9

   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.

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