Lasagna Supremo (the Best Lasagna Ever!)

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 (1 lb) package lasagna noodle
• 3/4 lb ground beef
• 1/4 lb ground lamb
• 1 lb italian sausage (thinly sliced)
• 1 lb button mushroom (thinly sliced)
• 1 cup onion (chopped)
• 6 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
• 2 (15 ounce) containers ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
• 1 cup pitted ripe black olives (sliced)
• 1 lb mozzarella cheese (shredded)
• 1 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
• 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans hunts chunky crushed tomatoes
• 2 (6 ounce) cans hunts tomato paste
• 1 cup stewed tomatoes (italian style)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves (cut in halves)
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, in juice (from jar)
• 1 shallot (diced)
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 4 tablespoons dried italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Recipe

• 1 for the lasagna: prepare lasagna according to package directions.
• 2 drain and set aside. note: you can use barella no boil noodles, but be sure during the assembly of the layers that the noodles do not stick out.
• 3 cook italian sausage either in a skillet or by boiling in a pot of water, thinly slice crosswise and set aside.
• 4 brown the ground beef and ground lamb in a skillet, drain off and discard fat.
• 5 add onion and garlic to the ground meat, stir and cook another 5 minutes.
• 6 add the sugar, salt, basil, fennel seeds, pepper and the marinara sauce and simmer for 20 minutes.
• 7 while the above mixture is simmering, combine in a large bowl the eggs, ricotta cheese, and parsley.
• 8 preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• 9 take a 13 by 9 inch baking dish and spray the bottom with a non-stick spray, such as pam.
• 10 in the baking dish, spoon in a layer of 1/3 of the meat sauce.
• 11 then layer 1/3 of the lasagna pasta (overlapping each strip of pasta with the other).
• 12 then layer 1/3 of the ricotta mixture.
• 13 then layer 1/3 of the sliced olives and 1/3 of the sliced italian sausage.
• 14 then layer 1/3 of the sliced mushrooms.
• 15 then layer 1/3 of the mozzarella and 1/3 of the parmesan.
• 16 then continue to repeat the layering until all of the ingredients are layered.
• 17 when the layering is completed, cover with aluminum foil, making certain that the foil is not touching the top of the lasagna, and bake for 25 minutes.
• 18 remove foil and bake, uncovered, another 25 minutes.
• 19 remove from oven and allow to sit and rest 10 minutes before cutting.
• 20 for the marinara sauce (by alan leonetti): empty hunts chunky crushed tomatoes and hunts tomato paste into the pot.
• 21 add the extra-virgin olive oil to the pot.
• 22 slice the cloves of garlic crosswise into either halves or thirds or pieces, and dump them into the pot.
• 23 dice the shallot, and dump that into the pot.
• 24 add the rest of the ingredients, and stir to mix well with a large long handled wooden spoon.
• 25 do not strain, as the pulp adds to make this a thick and wonderful sauce.
• 26 cover and cook on medium heat, stirring every 10 minutes for about an hour or until it bubbles and is completely heated throughout.
• 27 reduce heat to simmer, and continue to simmer, stirring every 10 or 15 minutes to keep from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pot for 1 or 2 hours.
• 28 remove from heat and give it one last stir.
• 29 serve over spaghetti, ravioli, pasta or use for chicken parmesan, veal parmesan, or anything that calls for a marinara sauce.
• 30 note: use only hunts chunky crushed tomatoes and hunts tomato paste.