Dad's Lasagna

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage 
• ¾ pound lean ground beef 
• ½ cup minced onion 
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed 
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes 
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste 
• 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce 
• ½ cup water 
• 2 tablespoons white sugar 
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves 
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds 
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided, or to taste 
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 
• 12 lasagna noodles 
• 1 cup of sliced green or black olives (optional)
• 2-3 cups of cooked spinach, drained (optional)
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese 
• 1 egg 
• ¾ pound mozzarella cheese, sliced 
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

• Step 1
  In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Step 2
  Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. 
• Step 3
  Melt the butter in a large pan over medium high heat. Add as much spinach as will fit in the pan and cook until it wilts. Continue adding handfuls of spinach to the pan until it's all wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the spinach cool slightly, then squeeze the excess water out of the spinach. Coarsely chop the spinach. Place the spinach, ricotta, eggs, Parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
• Step 4
  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Step 5
  To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the spinach-ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
• Step 5
  Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

TIPS FOR SPINACH LASAGNA

• I recommend using whole milk ricotta and mozzarella cheese for the best flavor. That being said, if you’re looking to save a few calories, you can substitute in the part skim versions.
• Use freshly shredded cheese, not a bag of pre-shredded cheese.  The bagged shredded cheese from the grocery store often contains anti caking agents and does not melt smoothly.
• Use your favorite brand of marinara sauce. I typically use Newman’s Own or Classico brand OR make your own!
• This dish can be assembled up to 6 hours before you plan to bake it. Store it covered in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
• You can store any leftover lasagna in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Make sure to squeeze all the excess water out of the cooked spinach. This will prevent your lasagna from getting watery as it bakes.
• You can use 2 boxes of frozen spinach instead of fresh spinach. If you use frozen spinach, make sure to squeeze the water out of the spinach after you thaw it.

HOMEMADE MARINARA SAUCE

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter)
• 1/3 cup finely-diced white or red onion
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely-minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes(with juices) or 4 large tomatoes chopped and slightly mashed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or pink Himalayan sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
• 3 large sprigs of fresh basil
• 1 dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons of red wine

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Instructions

1. Sauté onion and garlic: Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until combined.  Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until combined.
2. Add remaining ingredients.  Add the tomatoes, oregano, salt and black pepper, and stir to combine.  Use a wooden spoon or a potato masher to gently break up the tomatoes as the sauce continues to heat.  Stir in the fresh basil sprigs.
3. Simmer.  Continue cooking the sauce until it reaches a simmer.  Then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and continue to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Season.  Remove and discard the fresh basil sprigs. Add Worcestershire sauce and wine. Taste and season the sauce with salt and pepper, as needed.  (If you prefer a smoother sauce, you can also purée it with an immersion blender until it reaches your desired consistency.)
5. Serve.  Then serve the sauce warm and enjoy!