World's Best Lasagna
Description
Are you ready for the best lasagna in the world?
Ingredients
•
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
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1 lb lean ground beef
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½ cup minced onion
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6 cloves garlic, crushed
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1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
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2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
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2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
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½ cup water
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2 tablespoons white sugar
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4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
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1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves
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1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided, or to taste
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1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
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1 teaspoon fennel seeds
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¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
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12 lasagna noodles
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16 ounces ricotta cheese
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1 egg
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1 teaspoon lemon zest
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1 lb mozzarella cheese
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¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
1
Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven over medium heat until well browned.
2
Stir 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 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water.
4
In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and lemon zest.
5
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
6
To assemble, spread 1 ½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange noodles lengthwise over meat sauce, overlapping slightly. Spread with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 ½ cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
7
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.
8
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes.
9
Rest lasagna for 15 minutes before serving.