This is a recipe that I have been making for many decades, and everyone who has eaten my lasagna says that it is the BEST LASAGNA EVER!!!
Ingredients:
- 1 (1 lb) package lasagna noodle
- 3/4 lb ground beef
- 1/4 lb ground pork
- 1 lb Italian sausage (thinly sliced)
- 1 lb button mushroom (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup onion (chopped)
- 6 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 2 (15 ounce) containers ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
- 1 cup pitted ripe black olives (sliced)
- 1 lb mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
FOR MARINARA SAUCE by Alan Leonetti
- 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans hunts chunky crushed tomatoes
- 2 (6 ounce) cans hunts tomato paste
- 1 cup stewed tomatoes (Italian style)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves (cut in halves)
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, in juice (from jar)
- 1 shallot (diced)
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 4 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Directions:
- FOR THE LASAGNA: Prepare lasagna according to package directions.
- Drain and set aside. NOTE: You can use Barella No Boil Noodles, but be sure during the assembly of the layers that the noodles do not stick out.
- Cook Italian sausage either in a skillet or by boiling in a pot of water, thinly slice crosswise and set aside.
- Brown the ground beef and ground pork in a skillet, drain off and discard fat.
- Add onion and garlic to the ground meat, stir and cook another 5 minutes.
- Add the sugar, salt, basil, fennel seeds, pepper and the Marinara sauce and simmer for 20 minutes.
- While the above mixture is simmering, combine in a large bowl the eggs, Ricotta cheese, and parsley.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Take a 13 by 9 inch baking dish and spray the bottom with a non-stick spray, such as Pam.
- In the baking dish, spoon in a layer of 1/3 of the meat sauce.
- Then layer 1/3 of the lasagna pasta (overlapping each strip of pasta with the other).
- Then layer 1/3 of the Ricotta mixture.
- Then layer 1/3 of the sliced olives and 1/3 of the sliced Italian sausage.
- Then layer 1/3 of the sliced mushrooms.
- Then layer 1/3 of the Mozzarella and 1/3 of the Parmesan.
- Then continue to repeat the layering until all of the ingredients are layered.
- When the layering is completed, cover with aluminum foil, making certain that the foil is not touching the top of the lasagna, and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake, uncovered, another 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to sit and rest 10 minutes before cutting.
- FOR THE MARINARA SAUCE (by Alan Leonetti): Empty Hunts chunky crushed tomatoes and Hunts tomato paste into the pot.
- Add the extra-virgin olive oil to the pot.
- Slice the cloves of garlic crosswise into either halves or thirds or pieces, and dump them into the pot.
- Dice the shallot, and dump that into the pot.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, and stir to mix well with a large long handled wooden spoon.
- Do not strain, as the pulp adds to make this a thick and wonderful sauce.
- Cover and cook on medium heat, stirring every 10 minutes for about an hour or until it bubbles and is completely heated throughout.
- Reduce heat to simmer, and continue to simmer, stirring every 10 or 15 minutes to keep from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pot for 1 or 2 hours.
- Remove from heat and give it one last stir.
- Serve over spaghetti, ravioli, pasta or use for chicken parmesan, veal parmesan, or anything that calls for a Marinara sauce.
- NOTE: Use only Hunts Chunky Crushed Tomatoes and Hunts Tomato Paste.