RECIPE : Three-cheese Lasagna

ingredients:

For Sauce:

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil

2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 cups finely chopped peeled carrots

4 tablespoons minced garlic

8 ounces lean ground beef (I use local, grass fed beef)

8 ounces mild/sweet Italian sausages, casings removed ( I use local pork sausage) 

2 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree (Progresso is one brand I use)

1/2 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper (or more to taste)

For lasagna:

15 lasagna noodles (about 12 ounces)

2 15-ounce containers part-skim ricotta cheese (I use Calabro)

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 part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 1 1/4 pounds)

directions:

For Sauce:

1. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and garlic; sauté until softened, about 12 minutes. Add beef and sausages to pan; sauté until cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer until flavors blend and sauce measures about 10 cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

For lasagna:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees or 325 for convection bake (I prefer convection bake for this lasagna). Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Drain; cover with cold water.

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

3. Drain pasta and pat dry. Spread 1 cup sauce over bottom of 13x9-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 3 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 and 3 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 40 minutes (or 36 minutes for convection bake); uncover and bake until hot and bubbly, about 40 minutes (or about 36 minutes for convection bake). Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 8 - 12

Source : http://www.bunkycooks.com