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Recipe: Hearty Lasagna

Image by Smaku
It was a while ago when I tried my luck at making my first lasagna. I have to say, this time - my second time making it - turned out much better. I followed a slightly different recipe, so here is another variation for those interested.

Lasagna
Recipe adapted from: mylasagnarecipe.com
Yields: 6-8 portions

Ingredients
1 lbs / 450 g ground beef
1 lbs / 450 g raw mild Italian sausage, sliced thinly
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large onion, diced

1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp dried/fresh chopped parsley
dash of sugar
12 oz spaghetti sauce
60 ml water
2 tsp dry/fresh chopped basil
salt and pepper to taste

12 lasagna noodles
23 oz ricotta cheese
1 lbs / 450 g mozerella cheese, grated
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 egg

Recipe
1) In a large pot, using medium heat, brown ground beef, sausage, garlic, and onion [1-2].

2) Add tomato/spaghetti sauce, water and stir gently. Add fennel seeds [3], sugar, basil, about 2 tbsp of parsley, salt and pepper. Gently stir the pot, cover and let simmer for about 1 hour 30 min.

3) Make the cheese filling. In another bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with nutmeg, egg, 2 tbsp parsley [4].

4) Make noodles according to package directions [7].

5) Grate your cheese! [6]

6) When the tomato sauce has simmered for 1.5 hours or so, line the bottom layer of a 9x13 baking pan with the sauce. [8]

7) Line 4 pieces of the lasagna on top of the tomato layer. It is ok to slightly stagger the pasta. [9]

8) Add a layer of the ricotta cheese [10]. Then add a layer of the mozerella and parmesan cheese.

9) Repeat this procedure: noodles, tomato sauce, ricotta cheese, mozerella and paremsan, until you have 3 layers of pasta. The top layer should consist of the mozerella and parmesan cheeses. [11]

10) Cover with aluminum foil. [12]

11) Bake in oven covered, at 350F for 25 min. Then take the foil off and bake for another 25 min. [13].

12) The finished lasagna should look something like [14].

13) Take out of oven, and enjoy! [15].