This is the lasagna I grew up eating. I love it. Anytime I eat classic lasagna anywere else, I always wish I was eating this one.
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil 2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 Tbsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced 2 tsp oregano
1/2 lb ground beef 1 tsp basil
1/2 lb ground pork 1/4 tsp pepper
35 oz. canned crushed canned tomatoes
1 12 oz. can tomato paste
6 lasagna noodles
2 packages sliced mozzarella cheese
1 15 oz. carton ricotta, part skim (not low fat)
1 egg
parmesan cheese
Sauce (can be made ahead)
Heat oil in large pot. Cook onion for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add ground pork and ground beef, breaking up until combined. Cook until and browned all over and no longer pink. Add tomatoes and juice, then tomato paste, sugar, salt, oregano, basil, and pepper. Stir well.
Cover and cook on low for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
* Note - sauce freezes well.
Lasagna
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles in boiling water with a dash of salt and 1 Tbsp oil until tender (per package directions.) Do NOT use "no cook" noodles. Rinse and drain. In small bowl, mix ricotta cheese and egg. In 9 x 13 dish, put spoonfuls of sauce (about 1/3 of the sauce) on the bottom of the pan and spread around until covered. Layer 3 noodles, side by side on the bottom. Spread 1/2 the ricotta mixture on the noodles. Layer mozzarella cheese (1 whole package) over the noodles, overlapping, so the entire pan is covered. Spoon on the 2nd third of sauce and spread over the mozzarella. Layer 3 noodles, side by side. Spread the remaining ricotta mixture on the noodles. Layer mozzarella cheese (the whole package) over the noodles, overlapping, so the entire pan is covered. Spoon the rest of the sauce over the mozzarella. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let stand 5 - 10 minutes at room temperature before cutting and serving.