LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

I think I finally topped myself and found the perfect seasoning combination for bolognese sauce!  I made the sauce a couple of days ahead so it could sit and let the flavors meld together.

LASAGNA BOLOGNESE
1 pound COSTCO organic ground beef
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
5 large Roma tomatoes, slice thin
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon fennel seed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Lasagna  Noodles, prepared or oven ready**

•  Brown ground beef, Italian sausage, onions and garlic. Drain fat.
• Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato sauce.
• Stir in sugar, salt, pepper, basil, Italian seasoning and fennel, mixing well.
• Lay tomato slices evenly on top. Cover.
• Simmer for 2 hours over low heat. Stir in tomato slices until well blended.  At this time you can proceed to finish the lasagna or refrigerate the sauce until ready.

16 ounces Ricotta Cheese
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
lasagna noodles

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix together the Ricotta cheese, egg, nutmeg and parsley.
• Spray baking dish with PAM.
• Spread some of the meat sauce along the bottom. Top with lasagna noodles.  Add a layer of the Ricotta cheese mixture. Sprinkle with some of the Parmesan and then the mozzarella cheese.  Repeat two more times.
• Cover and bake 25 minutes.
• Uncover and bake another 25 minutes or until cheese is golden and starting to crisp.
• Let rest 10 minutes before cutting or serving.

 **I love the oven ready noodles - no pre-cooking and so much less breakage.  No one can tell the difference after you bake it!