Classic Lasagna

This classic recipe is delicious and actually not that tricky. We tried it for the first time on Sunday and it was impressive. I like a little more sauce and ricotta cheese in my lasagna, but that's not hard to adjust, and I sprinkled Italian herbs on the top before baking it.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces bulk Italian or pork sausage or ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 dried lasagna noodles (I like the Healthy Harvest wheat noodles)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese or 2 cups cream-style cottage cheese, drained
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. For sauce, in a large saucepan cook sausage, onion, and garlic until meat is brown. Drain.

2. Stir undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds (if desired), and black pepper into meat mixture. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Meanwhile, cook noodles for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender but still firm. Drain noodles; rinse with cold water. Drain well; set aside.

4. For filling, combine egg, ricotta, and the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

5. Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Layer half of the cooked noodles in the bottom of the dish, trimming or overlapping as necessary to fit. Spread with half of the filling. Top with half of the remaining meat sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. If desired, sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over top.

6. Place baking dish on a baking sheet. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

7. Makes 8 servings