Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1 shallot
- White balsamic vinegar (or regular, if you don’t have it)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 6oz can of tomato paste
- 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp basil
- 1 Tbsp and 2 tsp parsley, divided
- 1 bay leaf
- A couple teaspoons of chicken bouillon (2 cubes, or a spoonful of “Better than Bouillon”)
- 1 box lasagna noodles
- 1 32oz container of Ricotta
- 1 egg
- 1-2 lbs grated Mozzarella cheese
- 2 C grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
Directions
Saute the ground beef and Italian sausage until super well-browned, you want that crusty, almost crunchy dark brown crust.
Set meat aside and get a pot of water going on a burner for the pasta.
Saute a minced shallot in the leftover grease.
Add meat back in and saute with several tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar and some salt and pepper to taste.
After about a minute, mix in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, garlic powder, oregano, basil, parsley, bay leaf, and chicken bouillon.
If needed, add up to a cup of water to thin it out, aim for a Ragu/Prego viscosity.
Turn to low and cover.
Water should be boiling now, so cook the noodles.
In a large bowl, mix ricotta, egg, 1 T parsley, salt to taste, and a few handfuls of grated mozzarella cheese.
Assembly
Put some sauce in the bottom of a large casserole dish, then layer noodles, ricotta mixture, meat sauce, and grated mozzarella cheese.
Optional: alternate grated mozzarella cheese with slices of provolone cheese.
Do a final layer of noodles, a small amount of meat sauce, and a generous layer of cheese.
Bake for 45 minutes at 350º F, then remove and add shredded asiago or parmesan cheese to the top, then broil until bubbly and golden.