Easy Homemade Lasagna

Ingredients

• 12 Lasagna Sheets (uncooked)
• 4 cups Mozzarella (shredded; divided (1 ½ cups for cheese mixture, remaining for topping))
• ½ cup Parmesan (shredded; divided (¼ cup for cheese mixture, remaining for topping))
• ¾ tsp Table Salt (divided (½ tsp for sauce, ¼ tsp for cheese mixture); plus more to taste)
• ½ lb Ground Beef (lean)
• ½ lb Italian Sausage (bulk or ground)
• 1 Onion (yellow; diced)
• 2 Garlic (cloves; minced)
• 36 oz Marinara Sauce (or pasta sauce)
• 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 2 cups Ricotta (or cottage cheese)
• ¼ cup Parsley (fresh; chopped)
• 1 Chicken Egg (large; beaten)
• ¼ tsp Black Pepper (implicit for sauce seasoning)

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook until al dente (firm) according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, in a large skillet or Dutch oven, brown the beef, sausage, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Drain any fat.

3. 3

   Stir in the pasta sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Simmer uncovered over medium heat for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Taste and season with additional salt if desired.

4. 4

   In a separate medium bowl, combine 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ricotta, parsley, egg, and ¼ teaspoon salt.

5. 5

   Spread 1 cup of the meat sauce in a 9x13 pan or casserole dish. Top it with 3 lasagna noodles. Layer with 1 cup of the ricotta cheese mixture and 1 cup of meat sauce. Repeat twice more. Finish with 3 noodles topped with remaining sauce.

6. 6

   Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

7. 7

   Remove the foil and sprinkle the top of the lasagna with the remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Broil for 2-3 minutes if desired.

8. 8

   Rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting.