It Comes in Pints!: The Lasagna Recipe

Twenty-five years ago, my husband and I went to dinner with a couple of our dearest friends. My friend, Sandy, cooked up a lasagna that she received from her sister's husband's mother who was Italian. We were impressed. She gave me her recipe and twenty-five years later, I've never tried to cook another. This is the meal that my family asks for when they come to visit, and the lasagna that my husband says has ruined him for all other lasagnas. I did add a 1lb of Italian Sausage to this recipe and therefore adjusted the other ingredients to incorporate this addition. Without further ado, The Recipe.

Ingredients: Serves 10

2TBS Olive Oil

1 Med to Lg Onion

1 ½ lbs Ground Beef

1 lb Italian Sausage

5 Cloves of Garlic

2 tsp Salt

½ tsp Pepper

2 tsp Oregano (dried)

3 TBS Chopped Parsley

2 Cups Tomato Puree

1 Cup Tomato Paste

1 Cup Water

2 TBS Parmesan Cheese

½ lb of Lasagna Noodles

1 lb of Mozzarella Cheese

1 lb of Ricotta Cheese

Dash of Tabasco

Remove the casings from the Italian Sausage and sauté in the oil until browned.

Remove the sausage from the pan and sauté the onion until lightly brown.

Add the beef and cook until browned breaking up the meat. When browned, drain the beef.

Mix in garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, tomato puree, tomato paste, water, Tabasco, and 2 tbs of parmesan cheese.

Simmer, covered for about 45 minutes.

Cook noodles according to package directions, then drain, and cover with cold water. My farmer's market happened to have these beautiful spinach lasagna noodles, so that is what I used here, but I usually use store bought ones, not a big difference is the quality of the lasagna.