World's Best Lasagna

Brown the meat

Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven over medium heat until well browned.

Add tomatoes and seasonings

Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water. Season with sugar, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and pepper.

Simmer sauce

Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Boil noodles

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes.

Drain and rinse

Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water.

Mix ricotta

In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

First layer of sauce

Spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.

First layer of noodles

Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce, overlapping slightly.

First layer of cheese

Spread with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Repeat layers

Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil

Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

Preheat oven

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Bake covered

Top lasagna with a tented sheet of aluminum foil. Bake 25 minutes.

Bake uncovered

Remove tent and bake another 25 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.