Restaurant Style Italian Sausage Lasagna with Fennel
A slow simmered beef and Italian sausage sauce with fennel is layered with ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan and baked until bubbling.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb Italian sausage casings removed
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cans (28 oz each) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- ½ cup water
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ tsp salt divided
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley divided
- 16 oz ricotta
- 1 large egg
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 16 oz shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
Cooking
- In a large pot over medium heat, cook the ground beef, sausage, onion, and garlic until well browned and no longer pink, which is 160 degrees F. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Add the sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the parsley.
- Cover and simmer about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until thick and rich.
- Boil the noodles in salted water according to the package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water.
- Mix the ricotta, egg, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons parsley until smooth.
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spread about 1 1/2 cups meat sauce in a deep 9x13 inch dish. Add 3 to 4 noodles, half the ricotta mixture, a third of the mozzarella, and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Repeat with sauce and noodles, then finish with noodles, sauce, and the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 25 more minutes, until golden and bubbling. Set a sheet pan below to catch drips.
- Rest the lasagna 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Sausage is salted, so the added salt is reduced. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating to 165 degrees F. Nutrition values are an estimate.