Lasagna

It was kind of a grey and cloudy day here in Dallas on Sunday. We typically would be grilling something for dinner on a Sunday night, but because of the threat of rain, I made homemade lasagna instead. You can lighten up this recipe by substituting ground turkey for the ground beef and pork sausage. Also, you can use cottage cheese instead of ricotta and use a fat free or lighter mozzarella if you're so inclined. Serve with your favorite Italian salad and a crusty, french bread. This makes tasty leftovers. It also freezes well.

BTW, the reason the pictures aren't as good is because I was the photographer instead of my very talented husband. I will switch out pictures the next time I make this.

Lasagna

1 - 1/2 pounds ground chuck

1 pound ground Italian sausage

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp ground oregano

1 tsp ground basil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano

2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1 - 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmigianno-Reggiano

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

9 - 12 lasagna noodles, prepared as directed on the box

2 (8-ounce) packages shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large saucepan, combine ground chuck, sausage onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned and crumbled; drain. Return meat to pan and add oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 to 45 minutes. In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan, parsley, and eggs. Spoon 1/4 of the tomato sauce into bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan. Place 3 lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Do not overlap noodles. Spread 1/3 of ricotta cheese mixture over noodles, top with 1/4 of sauce and 1/3 mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, ending with sauce, reserving 1/3 of mozzarella cheese. Bake 45 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.