Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. pork sausage (or ground pork with Italian seasoning)
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 lb. bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
- 3 cans tomato sauce (8 ounces each)
- 1 can tomato paste (12 ounces)
- ¼ cup minced garlic (two coffee measures)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1½ cups (12 ounces) small curd cottage cheese
- 8 ounces ricotta cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (separate from the six cheese mixture below)
- 2 ounces of each cheese shredded and mixed together: Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, Fontina, Mozzarella, and Provolone
- 8 ounces shredded Mozzarella (separate from the six cheese mixture above)
- 6 thick slices Provolone cheese
- 9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
Instructions
Meat Sauce:
Cook the bacon in the oven until it is crisp. Blot and crumble it.
In a large skillet, sauté the onions until they soften, then add the beef and pork. Brown and separate the meat with the onions. Transfer the mixture to a stock pot and add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, sugar, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and simmer uncovered for an hour, stirring occasionally.
Cheese Mixture:
In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs. Add the parsley, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and the six cheese mixture. Mix well.
Build the Lasagna:
Layer a well-greased 13 x 9 baking dish as follows:
- meat sauce
- 3 lasagna noodles
- Provolone slices
- cheese mixture
- 3 lasagna noodles
- meat sauce
- cheese mixture
- 3 lasagna noodles
- meat sauce
- shredded Mozzarella
Bake covered in a 375° oven for 50 minutes, uncover, and bake another 20 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes prior to serving.
The lasagna can be prepared ahead of time and frozen prior to baking. After thawing, cover the top with about ¾ to 1 quart (24 – 32 ounces) spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce and sprinkle with shredded sharpish cheese such as Dubliner or Cheddar.