Aunt Pauline's Lasagna

3/4 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
1/2 cup olive oil
8 cloves garlic
1 x 28 oz can crushed Italian tomatoes
2 x 6 oz cans tomatoes, paste
28 oz water
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp pepper
1 cup parsley, chopped
3/4 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, whole milk cheese is preferable
1 lb. ricotta cheese
aluminum foil
1 lb. curly lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut the sausage into small pieces. Using � cup of olive oil, saut� 6 cloves of garlic and the sausage until brown. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and water.

On a plate, mix 1� teaspoons each of sugar, salt, oregano and basil with � teaspoon of pepper and � cup of parsley. Add seasoning mixture to sauce.

Simmer sauce for an hour, uncovered.

In a large bowl, break ground beef into small pieces. Add in the egg, remaining garlic, remaining parsley, � cup of Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Mix together with your hands.

Saut� meat mixture in remaining olive oil until brown. Add browned meat to sauce. Simmer uncovered for 2 more hours.

Grate mozzarella cheese. Put ricotta into a bowl; season with some pepper. Boil about 4 quarts of water. Add lasagna to water one piece at a time. Cook until tender. Drain.

Assemble the lasagna in a 13� by 9� by 3-inch pan. Lay out strips of aluminum foil on the counter. Lay strips of lasagna on foil paper so they won�t stick. Cover bottom of lasagna pan with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Place strips of lasagna on top. Spread some ricotta cheese on top of pasta. Sprinkle mozzarella on top of ricotta. Spread tomato sauce on top of mozzarella. Spread Parmesan on top of sauce. Add another layer of pasta and repeat layers.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Yield:10
 
 Recipe courtesy of Maggie Cassella

AUTHOR: Joyce

Source: Recipes From Friends