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Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Recipe of the Week: Cheesy Meaty Lasagna

So, you might be wondering why there is a need for yet another lasagna recipe ... 


If you've ever tried making lasagna and ended up with a big messy goo of runny sauce, cheese, and mushy noodles (that would be my experience!), this is the no-fail recipe for you. This recipe churned out a pretty looking and super tasty cheesy, meaty lasagna. If you let it cool sufficiently after you take it out of the oven, it will hold together beautifully.

Ingredients
1lb hot Italian sausage
1lb lean ground beef
1 cup cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15oz) can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
2 (6oz) cans tomato paste
1 (15oz) can tomato sauce
1 tbsp fresh basil or 1.5 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried oregano
4 tbsp flat Italian parsley, chopped and divided.
½ tsp fennel seeds
1½ tsp salt, divided
1 tsp black pepper
9 lasagna noodles
16oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese


Directions
Cook sausage and ground beef until brown. Drain off excess grease.
Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, herbs, and 1 tsp of salt and pepper.
Simmer over low heat, covered, for 1 to 2 hours.
While sauce is cooking, prep lasagna noodles by soaking in hot boiling water for 6 minutes, and then rinsing in cold water.
In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg,  ½ tsp of salt, and 2 tbsp of fresh parsley.
Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

Assembly:
Spread 1½ cups of meat sauce on the bottom of a well-greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
Arrange noodles over meat sauce.
Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the top of the noodles. Top with a layer of mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Repeat layers by finishing off with a final layer of mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Cover with non-stick foil.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, then bake for an additional 25 minutes.
Cool for 15 minutes before serving.


(recipe adapted from allrecipes.com)

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