Lasagna, a recipe

How to make the world's best lasagna

Making lasagna can be time-consuming, but the results are well worth the wait.
You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below.

Ingredients

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 3⁄4 pound lean ground beef
• 1⁄2 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt, divided, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fenned seeds
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 12 lasagna noodles
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 3⁄4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 3⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Steps

1. Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven over medium heat until well browned. Stire in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water. Season with sugar, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and pepper. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1⁄2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Dran noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. To assemble, spread 1 1⁄2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lenghtwise over meat sauce. Spread with 1⁄2 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with 1⁄3 of the mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1⁄2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1⁄4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Rest lasagna for 15 minutes before serving.