Recipe: McCall's Lasagna

LASAGNA
Source: McCall's Magazine, Sept. 1972
Servings: 8

FOR THE SAUCE:
1 lb. sweet or hot Italian sausage
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. fennel
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley, divided use
4 cups canned tomatoes, undrained
2 cans tomato paste
FOR THE LASAGNA:
1 tbsp. salt
12 curly lasagna noodles
1 (15 oz.) container Ricotta, drained
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 lb. Mozzarella, thinly sliced

Remove sausage meat from casing and chop. In 5 quart Dutch oven, over medium heat saute sausage, beef, onion, and garlic until well browned, 20 minutes.

Add sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, basil, fennel, pepper, and half of parsley; mix well. Add tomatoes, paste, and 1/2 cup water, mashing tomatoes with wooden spoon. Bring to boiling; reduce heat; simmer covered and stirring occasionally until thick, about 1/2 hour. Set aside.

In an 8 quart kettle, boil 3 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt. Add lasagna noodles; boil 10 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water. Dry and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In medium bowl combine Ricotta, egg, remaining parsley, and salt; mix.

In bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking dish, spoon 1 1/2 cups sauce. Layer with 6 lasagna noodles, spread with half of Ricotta mixture, top with a third of the Mozzarella slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups sauce over, sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat layers ending with 1 1/2 cups sauce and Parmesan. Spread with remaining sauce, top with rest of Mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover with foil tightly.

Bake 25 minutes; remove foil, bake, uncovered 25 minutes more or until bubbly. Cool 15 minutes before serving.