World's Best Lasagna recipe

Name: World's Best Lasagna
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Ingredients: 1 egg; 2 tablespoons white sugar; ½ cup water; ½ cup minced onion; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; ¾ pound lean ground beef; 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste; ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese; 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 16 ounces ricotta cheese; 12 lasagna noodles; 1 pound sweet Italian sausage; 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce; 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves; ½ teaspoon fennel seeds; 1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided, or to taste; ¾ pound mozzarella cheese, sliced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 2

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Step 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. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Step 4

To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of 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.