Mom's Lasagna

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Delicious lasagna, made the old fashioned way. This recipe originally came from an Italian woman who I worked with in the 1980's.

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  • 12
  • Average
  • 25 mins
  • 35 mins
  • 5 mins
  • Average budget

Ingredients

  • 1 Lb Lasagna noodles
  • 4 8 oz cans tomato sauce
  • 1 small (3 oz?) can tomato paste
  • 1 lb "beef" (if desired - can use veggie meat)
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • garlic
  • basil
  • salt
  • pepper
  • sweet or hot "sausage" (if desired - can use veggie sausage)
  • onions
  • peppers
  • 1 4 oz can mushroom pieces
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 8z containers ricotta cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • Large container Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Step 1

START by boiling lasagna noodles until done.

Step 2

To make the sauce, fry the beef and sausage in a pan that has a little oil in it; when done, drain the fat off.

Step 3

Then, add chopped onions, peppers and mushrooms.

Step 4

Sprinkle some garlic (fresh or powder) and basil; add a cup of dry red wine.

Step 5

Then add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste.

Step 6

Let mixture simmer about 15 mins or so, and finally, make sure sauce is not watery.

Step 7

FOR THE RICOTTA FILLING, Mix the ricotta cheese with the eggs; then, shake 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese into it to thicken the mixture.

Step 8

Make sure the mixture is not runny; then sprinkle some garlic powder and basil in, to taste.

Step 9

TO ASSEMBLE, Place a layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan; then, place a layer of noodles on that. Then place 1/2 of the ricotta mixture on that; then, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese on that.

Step 10

Place another layer of sauce on that (NOTE: Do not flood this layer or subsequent layers with sauce). Then, another round of noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, sauce.

Place the last layer of noodles on that, and cover them with the last layer of sauce. Make sure that the sauce covers the noodles so that the noodles don't crust over. Then, shake some Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake this (uncovered) at 350 degrees for 30 mins if ingredients are at room temperature. If prepared the day before and refrigerated, bake for at least 45 mins.

Test for doneness by inserting cool knife in the middle of the lasagna. If knife comes out hot, then it's done.

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Use smooth, rounded serving tongs to remove the lasagna noodles from the hot water one at a time, to prevent them from sticking together.

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