Recipe(tried): Mama Mia's Lasagna Recipe

MAMA MIA'S LASAGNA

FOR THE SAUCE:
3/4 lb ground beef
1 lb hot or sweet Italian sausage
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt, divided use (or to taste)
2 tsp basil leaves, crushed
1/2 tsp fennel seed
2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped parsley, divided use
4 cup tomatoes, undrained
12 oz tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp salt
FOR THE LASAGNA:
12 lasagna noodles
1 (15 oz) container ricotta or cottage cheese
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 lb mozzarella cheese, sliced thin

TO PREPARE THE SAUCE:
Remove sausage meat from outer casings and chop up the sausage. In a 5-quart Dutch Oven and over medium heat, saute sausage, beef, onion, and garlic; stir frequently until both sausage and beef are well browned.

Add sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, basil, fennel, pepper, and half the parsley; mix well. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1/2 cup water; mashing tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Bring to boiling; reduce heat; simmer, covered and stirring occasionally until it thickens. (Approximately 1 1/2 hours)

TO PREPARE THE LASAGNA:
In a 8-quart kettle, bring 3 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling. Add lasagna noodles and allow water to return to a boil; uncovered and continue stirring until they are tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Dry lasagna on paper towels.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In medium sized bowl, combine ricotta or cottage cheese, egg, remaining parsley and salt; mix well.

Spoon 1 1/2 cups sauce into a 9x13x2 inch baking dish. Layer with 1/2 of the lasagna, lengthwise and overlapping, to cover. Spread with half of the ricotta or cottage cheese mixture; top with one-third of mozzarella. Spoon 1 1/2 cups sauce over cheese; sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat layering, starting with the remaining half of the lasagna and ending with 1 1/2 cups sauce sprinkled with Parmesan. Spread with remaining sauce; top with rest of Mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover with foil and tuck it around the edges of the baking dish.

18. Bake 25 minutes; remove foil; bake uncovered another 25 minutes or until lasagna begins to bubble.

Cool for 15 minutes prior to serving.

Servings: 8

(this is like my recipe excluding the fennel seed - indeed, it is yummy)!