I associate this recipe with both of my parents — my mother made it often when we were growing up, but my dad started making it when I was in high school, adding sausage to the dish.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 lb. hot italian sausage (4 links, removed from casings)
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 26-oz. can tomatoes
- 1 12-oz. can tomato paste
- 1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1 Tbs. sugar
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1/8 tsp. fennel seeds
- 3/4 lb. lasagna noodles
- 1/2 lb. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 lb. ricotta cheese
- 1 cup cream-style cottage cheese
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Heat oil in a large saucepan or skillet. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender but not brown. Add ground beef and sausage and stir until brown and crumbly. Pour off fat. Add rest of sauce ingredients (through fennel) and bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook slowly, uncovered, for 2 hours. Stir occasionally.
In large bowl, mix together ricotta, cottage cheese, and egg.
In large kettle, bring three quarts water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles. Boil, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Dry on dish towels.
Preheat oven to 375º. In bottom of a 9x13" pan, spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce. Place 6 noodles, overlapping each other. Spread 1/2 ricotta cheese mixture over noodles, then 2/3 cup Mozzarella cheese. Spoon 2 cups sauce over the cheese, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat layering.
If freezing, wrap dish tightly with foil. Thaw before baking. Bake for 45 minutes with pan loosely covered with foil. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes more. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.
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