Adriana's Italian Recipe for Lasagna con Tre Formaggi e Salsiccia

Lasagna con Tre Formaggi e Salsiccia
(Lasagna with Three Cheeses and Italian Sausage)

Ingredients:

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrots
2 tablespoons minced garlic
8 ounces lean ground beef
6 ounces spicy Italian sausages, casings removed
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

For the lasagna:
15 lasagna noodles (about 12 ounces)
2 15-ounce containers part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, squeezed dry
2 large eggs
4 3/4 cups grated mozzarella cheese (about 1 1/4 pounds)

Directions:

Prepare the sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and garlic; saute until softened, about 12 minutes.

Add beef and sausages to pan; saute until cooked through, breaking up meat with a spoon, about 5 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer until flavors blend and sauce measures about 5 cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Let cool.

Prepare the lasagna:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Cook the pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Drain; cover with cold water.

Combine ricotta and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. Mix in spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs.

Drain pasta and pat dry.

Spread 1/2 cup sauce over bottom of 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish.

Place 5 noodles over sauce, overlapping to fit.

Spread half of ricotta-spinach mixture evenly over noodles.

Sprinkle 2 cups mozzarella cheese evenly over ricotta-spinach mixture.

Spoon 1 and 1/2 cups sauce over cheese, spreading with spatula to cover (sauce will be thick).

Repeat layering with 5 noodles, remaining ricotta-spinach mixture, 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1 and 1/2 cups sauce.

Arrange remaining 5 noodles over sauce. Spread remaining sauce over noodles. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese evenly over lasagna.

(Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake lasagna for 40 minutes; uncover and bake until hot and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving. Serves 8.

That's it!