A dish to make someone fall in love.
My mother made this dish while dating my father. It helped him to fall in love and when she made it for his parents, caused them to fall in love with her as well. My Gram still makes this recipe and tells the story of how my mom introduced italian food to the family.
To Make:
This recipe has a ton of ingredients. I’m going to remain true to the original and list everything, and post separately my shortcut recipe.
In a large pot, brazen the meatloaf meat and one half to 3/4 pounds of Italian sausage with the skin removed in a small amount of olive oil.
Add the fresh mushrooms that are sliced lengthwise and sautéed in butter and onion, celery, green pepper, all sliced small.
Then add crushed garlic clove and Wyler’s Onion Soup mix and all the spices except baking soda. Then add the tomato paste and the tomato sauce and canned tomatoes. Season with more Italian seasoning and garlic or less, to your taste. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, and add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.
In the last hour, while the sauce is cooking, put the remaining Italian sausage in a shallow baking pan in the oven to bake for one hour. Dice the pepperoni and slice cheddar and mozzarella cheese in long lengthwise medium thin strips.
Next, cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions, rinse and drain, taking care not to break up the noodles. The rest of the preparation must be done quickly so that the noodles will not cake together.
To prepare, start with sauce on the bottom of lasagna pan, lay the noodles, and then ricotta cheese generously. Right over the ricotta, scatter cooked Italian sausage, which is cut up and crumpled in small chunks, and distribute strips of mozzarella and cheddar cheese with a little of the diced pepperoni.
Then add a top layer of noodles and cover sauce plentiful over all. Put more crumbled Italian sausage with strips of cheese and pepperoni.
Cover with foil and bake one and a half hours or freeze and bake later (up to 2 months). Remove foil during the last 10 minutes of baking time. Let sit for 15 minutes prior to serving.
Bev’s Tried and True Lasagna
Nutrition per portion
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lbs meatloaf mix (beef, pork, veal)
- 2 1/2 lbs hot Italian sausage
- 2 lbs ricotta cheese
- 1 lb sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 lb mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 stick of pepperoni
- 1 12 oz can of tomato paste
- 1 can 29 oz tomato sauce
- 1 pound can of peeled tomatoes plus liquid
- 1 pkg of Wylers Onion Soup & dip mix 1 1/4 oz
- lasagna noodles
- olive oil
- 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms
- one medium onion
- one small green pepper
- 3 celery stalks thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 3 tsp garlic salt
- 3 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp crushed garlic clove
- 1 tbsp basil
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp parsley flakes
- 2 tbsp parmasan cheese
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
Method
- In a large pot, brazen the meatloaf meat and one half to 3/4 pounds of Italian sausage with the skin removed in a small amount of olive oil.
- Add the fresh mushrooms that are sliced lengthwise and sautéed in butter and onion, celery, green pepper, all sliced small.
- Add crushed garlic clove and Wyler’s Onion Soup mix and all the spices except baking soda.
- Then add the tomato paste and the tomato sauce and canned tomatoes.
- Season with more Italian seasoning and garlic or less, to your taste. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, and add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.
- In the last hour, while the sauce is cooking, put the remaining Italian sausage in a shallow baking pan in the oven to bake for one hour.
- Dice the pepperoni and slice cheddar and mozzarella cheese in long lengthwise medium thin strips.
- Next, cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions, rinse and drain, taking care not to break up the noodles. The rest of the preparation must be done quickly so that the noodles will not cake together.
- To prepare, start with sauce on the bottom of lasagna pan, lay the noodles, and then ricotta cheese generously. Right over the ricotta, scatter cooked Italian sausage, which is cut up and crumpled in small chunks, and distribute strips of mozzarella and cheddar cheese with a little of the diced pepperoni.
- Then add a top layer of noodles and cover sauce plentiful over all.
- Put more crumbled Italian sausage with strips of cheese and pepperoni.
- Cover with foil and bake one and a half hours or freeze and bake later (up to 2 months).
- Remove foil during the last 10 minutes of baking time.
- Let sit for 15 minutes prior to serving.
