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World's Best Lasagna

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 box wavy lasagna noodles
  • 1-pound bulk Italian sausage
  • 1-pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 2 jars marinara sauce, divided
  • 1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
  • 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat oven to 375° F.
  • In a large skillet, add onion, Italian sausage, ground beef, salt and pepper; cook until well done; drain, if necessary, and set aside.
  • Cook lasagna noodles; see tip below for best results.
  • In a large saucepan, combine cooked meat and 1-½ jars sauce; simmer 5 minutes.
  • In a small bowl or cup, lightly beat the two eggs.
  • In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 3 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and eggs.
  • Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Spread ¾ cup marinara sauce over the bottom of the baking dish.
  • Place 3 to 4 lasagna sheets on top of the marina sauce, slightly overlapping.
  • Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture over lasagna and cover with ½ of the meat sauce.
  • Repeat for 1 more layer.
  • Cover last layer with remaining lasagna sheets and remaining marinara sauce.
  • Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  • Remove foil and bake additional 10 minutes.
  • Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Working with Lasagna Noodles:
Fill a large pot with water and set over high heat. Add salt, if desired, or omit. Bring the water to a full rolling boil and add a good splash of vegetable or olive oil.
Put the lasagna noodles in all at once and stir them around with a spoon to keep them separate until the water returns to a boil. Keep stirring until the noodles start to soften slightly.
Keep the water boiling just enough to prevent boil-overs, as any reduction in heat will turn the lasagna noodles mushy. Cook the lasagna noodles for 8 to 10 minutes, or to the al dente stage, when they are pliable but still chewy.
Drain the lasagna noodles in a colander and place them singly on dry kitchen towels. Allow the noodles to cool slightly before proceeding with your recipe to make them easier to handle when assembling the dish.
Storing and Re-heating Lasagna:
Lasagna can be made ahead of time, covered in aluminum foil and placed in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.  When ready to bake, remove from refrigerator, do not remove the aluminum foil and allow pasta to come to room temperature. When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 350°F, place aluminum foil covered lasagna in the oven for around 40 minutes or internal temperature reaches 165°F.