This savory and filling lasagna dish is always a hit even for the pickiest of eaters. The best part of all is that it can be prepped well in advance of the holidays, leaving you free to enjoy your family and friends. It is filled with creamy cheeses and topped with an exceptionally flavorful sauce. I make certain to include it in my Christmas Eve Buffet as it has proven to be a crowd favorite. I always serve it piping hot from the oven next to the spaghetti so that people can garnish their plateful with additional sauce if they so desire. While this recipe is definitely for meat eaters, it can easily be modified for those non-meat eaters by replacing the ground beef and sausage with vegetables (zucchini, broccoli, etc.). Buon Natale! - Merry Christmas in Italian :-)
INGREDIENTS
Lasagna
12 Lasagna Noodles
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Pound Ricotta Cheese
1 Pound Mozzarella Shredded
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs (Beaten)
Fresh Parsley for garnishing (Optional)
Spaghetti Sauce
5 Jars (1 lb.10 oz./jar) Ragu Traditional (A family favorite, your family favorite may work even better)
1/3 Cup Sugar
4 Pounds Ground Beef (I use Laura's Lean Ground Beef)
1 Pkg. (20 oz.) Bob Evans Original Links Sausage or Sweet Italian Pork Sausage (any brand)
Makes 12 servings
SPAGHETTI SAUCE INSTRUCTIONS:
STEP 1: Turn slow cooker to high setting. Pour 5 jars of Ragu Traditional or favorite pasta sauce into slow cooker. Add 1/3 cup sugar and stir until mixed thoroughly.
STEP 2: Brown 4 pounds ground beef in fry pan over stove. Place browned ground beef in strainer to drain off excess grease. Add strained browned ground beef to pasta sauce and sugar in slow cooker.
STEP 3: Cook 1 package (20 oz.) sausage thoroughly in frying pan over stove. Drain off excess grease from sausage. Add sausage to pasta sauce, sugar and ground beef in slow cooker.
NOTE: I have tried Turkey Sausage and it just doesn't add the same great taste to the sauce.
STEP 4: Cook in slow cooker for 10 hours, stirring occasionally.
HINT: I usually make this pasta sauce in advance and freeze. I use small glass Pyrex baking dishes to store and freeze sauce so I can thaw the amount I need so as not to have waste. A 4.8 cup Pyrex baking dish serves approximately 2 people. A 6 cup Pyrex baking dish serves approximately 3 people. These are estimates and do not take into account if you are feeding growing young men :-) !!!!
LASAGNA BAKING INSTRUCTIONS: This recipe can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen. If baking immediately after preparation, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
STEP 1: Place 12 Lasagna noodles in 4-6 quarts of boiling water. Add salt to taste if desired and 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil to keep noodles from sticking together. (I've used other types of oil also including Vegetable Oil for this purpose.) Boil uncovered for 8 minutes. Stir occasionally. Drain and set aside.
STEP 2: Combine 1 Pound Ricotta Cheese, 1 Pound Mozzarella Shredded, 1/2 Cup Parmesan
Cheese, 1/2 Teaspoon Salt and 2 Eggs (beaten) and mix well.
STEP 3: Lay one lasagna noodle out flat and spread approximately 3-4 tablespoons of combined mixture from Step 2 all over flat lasagna noodle except for about 1 inch from each end.
STEP 4: Starting with one end of lasagna noodle, roll up so combined mixture is sealed inside noodle.
STEP 5: Place rolled noodles in 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread 4 Cups Spaghetti Sauce over noodles making sure to cover them completely.
STEP 6: If you are not going to refrigerate or freeze, but are ready to bake - cover top of baking dish with foil. Place baking dish in preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 50 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
STEP 7: Optional - Remove from oven and garnish with Fresh Parsley.
OPTIONAL: Additional 4 Cups Spaghetti Sauce for ladling over top of baked lasagna when serving. For buffet serving, I place a small slow cooker or bowl next to baked lasagna for people to help themselves.
FREEZING HINT: You can freeze uncooked lasagna in a 9 x 13 baking dish or if you wish you can break down into smaller containers. I fit 3 rolled lasagna's in a glass Pyrex 4.8 cup baking dish. I fit 6 rolled lasagna's in a glass Pyrex 6 cup baking dish.
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Pineapples & Palm Trees
~ Debbie ~
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