Recipe(tried): My Lasagna

Lasagna

3 lbs. link Italian Sausage, optional
1 lb. regular lasagna noodles, uncooked
3 cups ricotta
24 oz. shredded mozzarella, divided
1 cup grated parmesan, divided
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups your favorite spaghetti/tomato sauce (my homemade meat sauce recipe follows)
1/2 lb. provolone, thinly sliced

Bring 3 quarts of water to the boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer the sausage links for 20 minutes. Drain and cool. When cool, slice on the oblique (diagonal) into 1/4" thick slices.

Mix ricotta, 5 cups of the mozzarella, 3/4 cup of the parmesan, parsley and eggs.

Spoon 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with one layer of lasagna noodles (uncooked). Layer 1/3 of the cheese mixture, 1/3 of the sliced sausage links (do not overlap), and 2/3 cup of the sauce in dish. Repeat layers twice. Cover with a final layer of uncooked noodles, 1 cup of sauce (making sure to completely cover the noodles), sliced provolone, 1 cup of mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan.

Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with additional sauce.

Meat Sauce for Pasta

1 lb. ground beef (I prefer chuck for sauce)
1/2 lb. ground pork
extra light olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
5-10 cloves fresh garlic, minced (we love garlic)
1 carrot, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/4 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
28 oz. can wholed peeled Italian style tomatoes, undrained
small can of tomato sauce (8 oz.?)
small can of tomato paste (6 oz.?)
3 fresh roma tomatoes, cubed with juice
Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, to taste
juice of 1/4 lemon
splash of balsamic vinegar
1 TBS (or to taste) turbinado sugar or honey
salt, pepper, granulated garlic, oregano, basil, anise seeds, bay leaves, cayenne pepper or Tabasco Sauce, cinnamon (just a dash, I'm trying to put a little into everything), Italian Seasoning, etc., all to taste
Fresh grated parmesan or romano cheese
Fresh Basil

Brown the ground beef and pork until just cooked through. Drain off fat and reserve.

Pour a thin coating of extra light olive oil into a hot 8 quart stock pot. Immediately add onion and saut until just beginning to sweat. Add garlic and continue to cook until you get hit by the smell of the garlic, should be almost instantaneous. Add the carrot, celery, green pepper and mushrooms, one at a time until just starting to soften before adding the next vegetable. When all are softened but not mushy, add browned meats and heat through.

Keeping the heat on medium, pour the can of whole tomatoes into the stock pot. Use a spatula to break up the whole tomatoes into pieces (you can probably use canned diced tomatoes or break the whole ones in your hands before adding, but this is how I have always done it). Add the other canned tomato products and the roma tomatoes. Stir all with a spatula.

Pour a little wine into the bottom of the paste can (if you can, I open both ends and push on the bottom lid to squeeze all of the paste out). Swirl it around and then pour into the sauce can. Repeat, then pour into the whole peeled tomatoes can. Repeat and pour into the stock pot. Add the remaining ingredients to taste. Stir well, cover, turn heat down to simmer and cook for desired length of time. I prefer long cooking. To thicken the sauce, remove the cover about an hour before cooking is finished. Usually I'll put this on about 10:30AM and we'll sit to dinner about 6:00PM.

When you start your water for the pasta, stir in about 1/2 cup fresh parmesan or romano cheese. Stir. When you put the pasta in the boiling water, turn off the sauce and add fresh basil. Stir.

Cook pasta and add about 1/2 cup pasta water to sauce in the stock pot right before service. Stir to incorporate.

Pam