Always Good Lasagna

By ldelmas

Sure, you can make lasagna with jarred sauce, but it tastes so much better when you make it yourself. By simmering the tomatoes with the spices and meat for 30 minutes, all those flavors have time to marry, which is so important with a simple dish like this.

Ingredients

• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1-1/2 lb ground beef
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 (16-oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14-oz) can whole tomatoes
• 1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 package lasagna noodles
• 1/2 lb Mozzarella cheese (or more)
• 3/4 lb Ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Dried parsley, to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef, onion, and garlic and then drain off the fat. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and oregano to the beef mixture. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions. Rinse and drain the noodles. Fill a 13'' x 9'' baking dish with alternate layers of meat sauce, noodles, and cheese, ending with the Parmesan. Sprinkle the top of the lasagna with a little parsley.
Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes, or until good and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.