When lasagna came on the table, I was always so excited! It wasn’t just any meal to me, my mom made sure it tasted like “home” no matter where we were. My family moved around a lot when we would visit relatives or drive cross-country for summer vacations.
Lasagna, also known as Italian lasagna, is a classic layered pasta dish. The name “lasagne” comes from the Italian word “lasagna” and it originates from Naples. In American cuisine, a layered casserole dish with more ingredients than traditional lasagna is often referred to as lasagna, so the name tends to be used interchangeably.
World's Best Cheesy Lasagna
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 ounce cans tomato paste
- 2 6.5 ounce cans canned tomato sauce
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt divided, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- ¾ pound mozzarella cheese sliced
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- preheat oven to 375 degrees f (190 degrees c).
- 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.
- bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Cheesy Lasagna is one of my favorite recipes to make. It is an adaptation of a recipe my grandma used to make when I was younger. Now we have it at least once per month in our house and it never gets boring. This recipe has many variations, including one with broccoli and Alfredo sauce or one with spinach, roasted peppers and cheese. The possibilities are endless for your favorite veggies to add!
