Ultimate Lasagna

ULTIMATE LASAGNA — With a meaty sauce and sliced mozzarella cheese, this lasagna is just about perfect!

Sure, you could throw together a quick and easy lasagna, or you could go all out and make the Ultimate Lasagna!

Granted, this isn’t a quick and easy recipe, but the time and effort is so worth it! It’s not hard to make, you just need time for the sauce to simmer, mainly.

I wouldn’t attempt this lasagna on a busy weeknight, but it’s perfect for a lazy weekend. The good news is, it will probably feed your family for at least two days, if not longer.

There is plenty of room in the recipe for your own adaptations, but I definitely recommend using a combination of beef and pork in the sauce.

And also, the whole slices of mozzarella cheese–they’re kind of what makes this lasagna epic!

I have never regretted the time and effort I put in to this amazing lasagna. I don’t make it often, but when I do, everyone raves and goes back for seconds.

And I always have leftovers…..is it just me, or does lasagna taste better the second day?

One final note. I don’t care much for oven-ready lasagna noodles. But I also don’t like the extra step of boiling regular noodles. So I use regular noodles and let them sit in a pan of hot water–with a bit of olive oil–for 10-15 minutes to soften them up.

It’s less hassle, the texture of the pasta is great, and my lasagna holds together perfectly using this method (provided you let it sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving). Of course, you can feel free to use whatever method you like best.

It’s just one of the techniques that makes this Ultimate Lasagna extra special. I hope you love it as much as we do!

Be sure to save this Ultimate Lasagna recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.

Here’s what you’ll need to make the Ultimate Lasagna

• Sausage
• Ground Beef
• Produce: garlic, onions, basil, parsley
• Crushed tomatoes
• Tomato paste
• Tomato sauce
• Sugar
• Spices: basil, fennel, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper
• Lasagna noodles
• Ricotta cheese
• Eggs
• Mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese

Ultimate Lasagna

Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

With a meaty sauce and sliced mozzarella cheese, this lasagna is just about perfect!

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Ingredients

• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
• 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 teaspoons dried basil leaves, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 12-16 lasagna noodles
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. In a large pot, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water.
2. Add sugar, 2 teaspoons basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Fill a 9x13 pan with hot tap water and a drizzle of olive oil. Lay uncooked lasagna noodles in pan to soften.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, remaining teaspoon basil and a dash of salt and pepper.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Assemble lasagna as follows: Spread about 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of a deep 9x13 dish. On top of sauce, layer 4-5 noodles, 1/2 of ricotta mixture, sliced mozzarella, about 2 cups of sauce, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.
6. Repeat once. For the last layer, add 4-5 more noodles, followed by remaining sauce, and sliced mozzarella.
7. Cover with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 25 minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 565Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 119mgSodium: 991mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 39g

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Who Dished It Up First: Adapted from All Recipes.