World's Best Lasagna Recipe

This comprehensive and well-loved lasagna recipe is guaranteed to become a beloved meal in your culinary repertoire. It layers rich meat sauce, creamy ricotta cheese, and melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses for a hearty and satisfying dish.

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Ingredients:

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• ¾ pound lean ground beef
• ½ 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
• ½ cup water
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 12 lasagna noodles
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• ¾ pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook the Meats:

• In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned.

1. Prepare the Sauce:

• 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 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.

1. Cook the Noodles:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles for 8 to 10 minutes, drain and rinse with cold water.

1. Prepare Ricotta Mixture:

• In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and ½ teaspoon salt.

1. Assemble the Lasagna:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Spread 1 ½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over the meat sauce, overlapping slightly.
• Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. Top with one-third of the mozzarella slices. Spoon another 1 ½ cups meat sauce over the mozzarella, and sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.
• Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil, sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

1. Bake:

• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 25 minutes.

1. Rest and Serve:

• Allow the lasagna to rest for 15 minutes before serving. This helps the layers set up for easier slicing.

Tips:

• Layering: To ensure an even distribution of flavors and textures, be meticulous in your layering, ensuring that each layer is uniform.
• Sauce Consistency: The sauce should be thick enough to cling to the meats and noodles but still moist enough to not dry out during baking.

Serving Suggestions:

• Serve this lasagna with a side of roasted vegetables, a simple salad, or garlic bread for a complete meal.

This "World's Best Lasagna" lives up to its name with its depth of flavor and comforting texture, perfect for a family dinner or a festive gathering. Enjoy the process of making it and the delightful tastes that follow!

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