My Best Lasagna

I’ve made this lasagna multiple times for different crowds. The recipe is my mom’s mixed with my own flare. Every person should have at least ONE major meal they can make on their own, without a recipe card in hand.

I present to you . . . my favorite meal, the best lasagna recipe.

The only thing Brien wanted for his birthday is this lasagna, he doesn’t want presents or cake (well maybe some brownies) but for him, this is a special treat; so you know it’s going to be awesome.

First, I used a mix of lean ground beef and spicy Italian sausage - if you want to leave the meat out of the recipe, you either substitute tofu, or soy-meat.

Second, I spice everything to my personal taste, that way if someone else tries the recipe, they can experiment with their own taste buddies.

Finally, and my mom taught me this little tidbit, the best time to eat Italian food is the NEXT day. Once everything has a moment to settle in the fridge and the spices take hold of the sauce, meat, noodles, and cheese, your tummy will be thanking you!

INGREDIENTS ASSEMBLE!

1 lb lean ground beef

1 lb ground spicy Italian sausage

½ large onion, chopped

2-4 garlic cloves, minced

2 (14 oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes

2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste

24 oz Ricotta cheese

2 eggs, beaten

½ cup grated parmesan

1 lb Italian cheese blend

1 lb shredded mozzarella

1 box “over-ready” lasagna noodles

Salt & Pepper

Italian Seasoning

Parsley

Basil

Fennel Seed

Rosemary

TIME TO COOK!

1. Place your chopped onions, 2 minced garlic cloves, lean beef and sausage in a pan and turn the heat to medium. Spice with rosemary, basil, and fennel seed. Don’t worry about greasing the pan; the meat will cook in the onion juices and grease. Your house will begin to smell delicious as the beef and sausage brown.

(Don’t be like me and hang your head over the browning onions, otherwise you’ll be dealing with some burning, watering eyes).

2. Once your meat is finished, turn off the heat and set the pan aside to cool for a moment. Once cool enough that it’s not burning hot to touch drain the grease from the pan.

Buddy smelled the meat and sausage and made sure to check if anything fell onto the floor.

3. Find a sauce pan and pour all cans of tomatoes, basil, salt & pepper, Italian seasoning, and parsley. Don’t forget – for every can of tomato paste, put one can of water.

4. Pour the meat into the sauce pot and stir together.

5. Set the heat to low-medium and let the sauce simmer for about an hour with the lid ON! Don’t forget to stir occasionally.

6. Once the 45-ish minute mark hits on that simmering sauce, gather a medium sized bowl for your cheese mixture.

7. In said bowl, combine the Ricotta, beaten eggs, parmesan, ¾ of the Italian blend cheese, and ½ of the shredded mozzarella. (Put the rest of the cheese aside).

8. Mix that super cheese mixture with a fork to make it extra fluffy. Add the occasional salt, pepper, AND possibly some of the minced garlic (I add 1 or 2 cloves) for taste.

9. Your sauce should be done around 1 hour of infiltrating your home with delicious scent. Turn the heat off of this bad baby and now it’s finally time to assemble!

10. Grease a 9x13 pan and preheat your oven to 350F.

IT’S TIME TO LAYER!

**Begin with those over-ready noodles -- Word to the wise I’ve tried using non oven ready noodles before and oh my goodness it was a hassle to try and boil, handle boiling hot noodles, make sure they don’t fall apart and also care for my brand new first degree burns.

11.  Layer NOODLES-

12. Ladle the SAUCE, I use a mug for easy pouring-

13. Finally, the CHEESE MIXTURE, and again! You got this! Noodles, sauce, cheese, until you reach the top and finish the layering with a final top layer of noodles.

14. Finish the lasagna with that leftover shredded cheese and put in the over. Bake at 350F for 35-45 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted.

15. Finally, once your yummy lasagna is finished. Take it out of the oven. BE CAREFUL. It might be heavy, and let it cool for about 5-10 minutes at the most.

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16. Cut and serve to your guests, or best friends, or family. Pair with a delicious homemade salad and some delicious red wine, maybe Chianti?

Don’t worry if it falls apart on the plate. In my opinion, a messier lasagna is a tastier meal.

Let me know how your recipes turn out or if you add anything to make this lasagna recipe your own. I love having this recipe during the holidays and when the weather begins to cool down. Enjoy!