Lasagna

I did it!  I made lasagna! This was the #1 food on my list of foods I want to make. It is my husbands absolute favorite food in the world!  He loves lasagna. He had the best lasagna in the world in Italy since he was there for 2 years serving a mission.  So I wanted to make the best.  The main reason I haven't made lasagna before is it's more expensive than most dinner's but as you probably know it's about one of the best things you can have for dinner!


So as you can tell I was super excited to make lasagna so once I decided to make it I dedicated some time to researching the perfect recipe on the internet. I wanted to get it right the first time!  After narrowing it down to a couple I finally decided on this recipe from the food blog Amanda's Cookin'.  It had all the ingredients we love in lasagna, seemed simple enough and it's been the most popular recipe on her blog for 2 years.  And let me tell you, I certainly made the right decision!  It was simple to make. I was surprised how quick it was since I had thought lasagna was a complicated dish. I assembled it the night before then cooked it the next day before dinner.


It was fun making it.  The lasagna noodles only boil for about 6-7 minutes so they don't overcook as you bake the lasagna.  Then you make the meat pasta sauce. I snuck in a couple bites of it when it was ready and I was amazed at how yummy and tasty it was! Next you made the ricotta mixture and then the layering begins!  Which I think is pretty fun to do. And before you know it your lasagna is ready to go.


I was excited to take the first bite to see how it tasted.  And.... it was amazing! Derek loved it!  And like I said he knows a good lasagna!  I was so happy I had successfully made a yummy lasagna! YAY!

Lasagna

Slightly adapted from Amanda's Cookin'

Ingredients:

1/2 of a (1-pound) package lasagna, uncooked
1 lb bulk Italian sausage
1/2 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes (undrained)
2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 ½ sp basil leaves
½ tsp fennel seed
¼ tsp pepper
1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
1 egg beaten
1 tbsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Boil lasagna for 6-7 minutes. Do not overcook; it will continue to cook in the oven.  In large skillet, combine Italian sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook until meat is no longer pink and onion is tender; drain. Stir in next 7 ingredients. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes. 

In medium bowl, blend ricotta, egg, parsley, and salt. Spoon 1 ½ cups of meat sauce into 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Layer one-third each lasagna, remaining meat sauce, ricotta mixture, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. Repeat layers. Cover. 

Bake in 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Uncover, bake until hot, about 20-30 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.  If needed you can turn the oven to broil for a few minutes to brown the cheese.

8-10 servings.