365 Project - Day 77 - Garfield's Favorite Meal

There is nothing better than homemade Italian food. And if you're going to do it right, there is no doing it halfway. There are no shortcuts allowed. I have to admit, since I started dating Steven, I've become quite a bit pickier about my Italian food. Let's face it, after having his Mom's homemade manicotti and sauce, places like the Olive Garden just don't cut it anymore.

Fortunately, Diane was kind enough to not only share the recipe, but to actually show me how to make it when she and Rich came to Arizona to visit after Cadence was born. Unfortunately, since the move to Nebraska, I have been unable to locate the box I packed the recipes in. So, when Steven and I got to craving some Italian food, I had to find another recipe for lasagna that would suffice. It didn't quite live up to Diane's sauce, but it was pretty darn tasty.

Today's 365 Project is dedicated to all the delectable Italian food we just can't seem to get enough of, and to women like my Mother-in-law who take the time to make it right. Bon apetit!

For those of you who would like to try the recipe for yourselves. Here it is:

Ingredients

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 3/4 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 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
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 12 lasagna noodles
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Directions

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 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
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. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. 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 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.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.