Nothing says winter in an Italian kitchen like Lasagna. If you are looking for a traditional lasagna, this is our go to crowd pleaser. Our kids, who claim to not like melted cheese, can’t get enough of this. We love to make this when hosting or going to a pot-luck dinner. It is a comfort food like no other.

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef

1lb medium or hot ground sausage

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

28oz can diced tomatoes

6oz can tomato paste

Black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt

10oz lasagna noodles

1 lb mozzarella, shredded

10-12 fresh basil leaves

¼ c flat leaf parsley leaves

3 c cottage or ricotta cheese

1 c grated Parmesan

2 eggs, beaten

Directions

  1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the ground meat and garlic until brown.  Drain. Add the tomatoes with their juice, tomatoe paste, ½ tsp salt, and a dash of black pepper. Stir together well.  Simmer over low heat, uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the olive oil and a dash of salt. Cooke the lasagna noodles according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the noodles and lay them flat on a piece of aluminum foil to keep their shape.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  4. Cut the basil into a chiffonade by stacking the leaves on top of one another, rolling them tightly and then cutting across.  Finely chop the parsley. Add half the herbs to the meat mixture and stir together. IN a medium bowl, combine the other half of the herbs, the cottage/ricotta, ½ c of the parmesan and the eggs. Stir.
  5. In a deep rectangular baking pan, lay lasagna noodles to cover the bottom of the pan (the noodles should only slightly overlap). Spoon half the cottage/ricotta mixture onto the noodles, distributing evenly.  Sprinkle half the mozzarella on top. Spoon just under half the meat mixture on top of the mozzarella, spreading evenly. Continue to layer until ingredients are finished–noodles, cottage/ricotta mixture, mozzarella, and finally a thick layer of the meat.
  6. Sprinkle the remaining ½ c of parmesan over the top and bake until the lasagna is hot and bubbly, 35 to 45 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares.