It’s a shame, but summer can’t stay forever. Eventually, the leaves will start to turn, and the kids will be heading back to school. But that’s not a reason to despair, instead, you can celebrate! It means it’s time for fall treats and even more hearty, warming fare, like the Back-to-School Lasagna. If anything can get your kids excited about attending class tomorrow, it’s this Back-to-School Lasagna. Layer upon layer of tender lasagna noodles, creamy cheese sauce, and a savory, beefy, and bright tomato meat sauce will ensure there’s never a dull bite: in fact, this might be the most exciting pasta you’ve ever had! Autumn may be here, but there’s always time for one more delicious adventure and always room for one more bite!
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 3/4 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 (28-ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 (6-ounce) cans of tomato paste
- 2 (6.5-ounce) cans of 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 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped and divided
- hot sauce, optional, of your choice, to taste
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
Step 1 –In a dutch oven over medium heat, cook the sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic until well-browned, about 6-7 minutes.
Step 2 –Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water.
Step 3 –Season the mixture with the sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 2 tablespoons parsley, and hot sauce.
Step 4 –Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until the flavors have fully melded, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Step 5 –Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
Step 6 –Cook the lasagna noodles in the boiling water until just al dente, about 8-10 minutes.
Step 7 –Drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water.
Step 8 –In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, remaining parsley, and remaining salt.
Step 9 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 10 –In the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish, spread 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce.
Step 11 –Arrange 6 of the noodles lengthwise over the meat sauce.
Step 12 –Spread 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the noodle layer.
Step 13 –Top the ricotta layer with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese slices.
Step 14 –Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce over the mozzarella.
Step 15 –Sprinkle the meat sauce layer with 1/4 cup of the mozzarella.
Step 16 –Repeat the layers, topping with the remaining mozzarella and the parmesan.
Step 17 –Spray the foil with cooking spray and cover the baking dish. Make sure the foil does not touch the cheese. Bake for 25 minutes.
Step 18 –Remove the foil and bake until melty and golden-brown, about 25 minutes.
Step 19 –Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
