nicole hawthorne :: the works of my hands : 2014

http://www.nicolehawthorne.com/2014/04/best-lasagna-ever.html

Incredibly flavorful, it uses many simple and inexpensive spices. I prefer to use fennel seed in my Italian recipes, but I'd ran out, and was unable to find it at a reasonable price nearby.

I never though baking could be so fun and easy, but it is. If you follow the recipe exactly, it makes 9 servings. I used a 9x9 casserole dish, but you can use any pan you'd like. The lasagna pictured was made by increasing the recipe by about 50%. I hope you enjoy this extra delicious lasagna recipe!

Meat:

1 lb ground beef
12 oz tomato paste

15 oz tomato sauce
1 medium sized diced tomato
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp fennel seed
2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
3 tsp diced red onion
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp lemon pepper

1 pkg lasagna noodles
12-16 oz mozzarella cheese

1 c Ricotta cheese
1 tsp oregano
1/4 c milk

9x13 casserole dish

What to do:
Brown your ground beef in a medium skillet with all spices, EXCLUDING the sugar. In a bowl, mix the Ricotta cheese, oregano and milk to a smooth consistency. Set aside.

Once your ground beef has thoroughly cooked, pour off any excess grease, and mix in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Add the sugar.

Layering your lasagna:
Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of your ungreased 9x9 casserole dish. The lasagna should be layered just like this. Use your best judgement to eyeball how much to split each ingredient for each layer so you don't run out:

13. MOZARELLA CHEESE

12. RICOTTA CHEESE

11. MEAT SAUCE

10. NOODLES

9. MOZARELLA CHEESE

8. RICOTTA CHEESE

7. MEAT SAUCE

6. NOODLES

5. MOZARELLA CHEESE

4. RICOTTA CHEESE

3. MEAT SAUCE

2. NOODLES