Everybody’s Favorite Lasagna

Ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil

• 1 pound ground beef

• ½ cup chopped onion

• ½ pound mushrooms, sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 can (28 ounces) Italian style plum tomatoes.

• 1 can (28 ounces) Italian style crushed tomatoes

• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

• ½ cup dry red wine

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• ½ teaspoon dried oregano

• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon pepper

• 15 plain no-boil lasagna noodles (Barilla works great)

• 1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese

• ½ cup parmesan cheese

• ¼ cup Italian parsley

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese

Method

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the ground beef, onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Sauté on medium high heat until meat is browned.

• Cut the plum tomatoes with sharp kitchen scissors and reserve with juices. Add the reserved plum tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, red wine, basil, oregano, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to browned meat. Stir and simmer uncovered for about 1 ½ to 2 hours over medium low heat until sauce is cooked down and thickened. Stir occasionally.

• Beat the ricotta, parmesan cheese, parsley, and egg together. Set aside.

• Assemble the lasagna in a 9 by 13 baking dish using the following layers:

  • ½ cup tomato sauce (spread evenly over the bottom of the pan),

  • 5 overlapping lasagna noodles,

  • half of the ricotta mixture (dot the pasta with the mixture),

  • a third of the tomato sauce,

  • a third of the mozzarella cheese,

  • five lasagna noodles,

  • the remaining ricotta mixture,

  • half of the remaining tomato sauce,

  • half of the remaining mozzarella cheese,

  • the last five lasagna noodles,

  • the remaining tomato sauce,

  • and finally, top off with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

• Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 50 minutes until lasagna is bubbly and is evenly browned on top.

• Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.