World's Best Lasagna

by Kristin Riedel
found on www.allrecipes.com

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6oz) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 oz) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 TBS white sugar
1 1/2 tps dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 TBS salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4 TBS chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles (I like to use the kind that you don't have to boil)
16 oz ricotta cheese (I used cottage cheese)
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

They suggest using a Dutch oven to cook the following ingredients but to make it faster you could use a skillet or large pot.

• Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat. Stir in tomatoes, paste, sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 TBS salt, pepper, and 2 TBS parsley. If you use a Dutch over you simmer this for 1 1/2 hours stirring occasionally. If you use a skillet or large pot just let it simmer for a couple of min.
• Boil pasta noodles and rinse with cold water or use the kind that you don't have to boil. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta/cottage cheese with egg, remaining parsley, adn 1/2 tsp salt.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• 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 cheese mixture. Top with a third of cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over cheese slices, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top wit remaining mazzarella 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 min. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 min. Cool for 15 min. before serving.