Juicy lasagna

Ingredients:

Lasagna

• 450 g lasagna sheets
• Olive oil
• 450 g raw Italian sausages without casings
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed, separated
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 package (340 g) of champignons, stems removed, caps thinly sliced
• 1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced ​​on the diagonal
• 2 cups ricotta
• 2 tbsp. grated parmesan, divided
• 2 eggs
• 6 - 7 basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 1 serving marinara sauce, see recipe below
• 450 gr. grated mozzarella

Chef Anne Burrell's All-Purpose Marinara Sauce

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 110 g pancetta, diced
• 2 large Spanish onions, diced into 0.5cm cubes.
• 4 large cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
• 4 cans (800g each) of canned Italian San Marzano tomatoes

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles in batches until tender and pliable but not mushy, 6-7 minutes. Remove the noodles from the boiling water and lay them flat on a baking sheet to cool. Set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned and fluffy. Remove from the skillet to paper towels to drain excess oil.
3. Drain the fat from the pan and add fresh olive oil along with two cloves of garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Heat over medium-high heat. When the garlic is golden and fragrant, remove it from the oil and discard. Add the mushrooms and season with salt. Cook until soft and dark brown, 4-5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat with the remaining garlic and zucchini.
4. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, half the Parmesan, eggs, and basil. Mix well and season with salt.
5. Preheat oven to 175°C.
6. Add a couple of tablespoons of sauce to the bottom of a deep 22 x 32 cm baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Arrange a layer of lasagna noodles, completely covering the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the pasta. Place a layer of lasagna noodles on top, going in the opposite direction (this will help stabilize the casserole). Spread a thin layer of sauce and top with 1/3 of the minced meat, then repeat with 1/3 of the mushrooms and zucchini. Sprinkle the vegetables with a layer of mozzarella and some of the remaining Parmesan.
7. Repeat these layers until you've used up all the ingredients or the pan is full. The final layer should be a layer of noodles, topped with sauce and sprinkled with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover with foil.
8. Place the lasagna on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until heated through and bubbly, about 1 hour and 15 minutes, removing the foil 15 minutes before done. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

9. All-Purpose Marinara Sauce

   
   Pour olive oil into a large saucepan and add the pancetta. Place the pan over medium heat and fry the pancetta for 4-5 minutes. Add the onion, season generously with salt, and stir to coat with olive oil. Fry the onion for 6-7 minutes, stirring frequently; it should become very soft and fragrant, but not brown. Add the garlic and fry for another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
   
   Grind the tomatoes through a vegetable mill. Be sure to force all the pulp through the holes, leaving only the stems and seeds, and scrape the pulp from the bottom of the mill. Add the tomatoes to the pan; rinse one of the empty tomato cans with water and add this water to the pan (about 2-3 cups). Season generously with salt and taste the sauce; tomatoes absorb a lot of salt. Add salt a little at a time and taste. Simmer the sauce for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting frequently.
   
   Use the sauce immediately in any dish calling for tomato sauce. It can also be cooled and stored in the refrigerator for several days or frozen.