"Easy" Lasagna, Really?!

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise.

It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. 

For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don't like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

for a veggie version of this you might want to try the italian "ground" soy and diced veggies in the same proportions. i find that a layer of sliced roasted eggplant, roasted peppers/ sundried peppers is also reallly awsome.

Ingredients: 

Tomato Sauce

• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 x medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 10 x cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 4 x Italian sausages, casings removed (I go to co-op and grab 2 spicy & 2 mild spalumbo italians)
• 1 x 28 oz can tomatoes, crushed or pureed
• 1 x small can tomato paste
• 2 cups beef stock (or... 1 cup of redwine and 1 of beef stock thats what I do) for you amber booze and veggie stock would rock it.
• 3 tbsp dried oregano

   •   2 tbsp dried basil

• 3 x bay leaves
• Salt and pepper

Cheese Sauce

• 2 x eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup 35% cream
• 475 g (1 pound) ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• Salt and pepper

Assembly

• 1 box of ready-to-bake lasagna noodles (or use spinach noodles whateves)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• Directions:
• 
  

Tomato Sauce

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepot and add the onions.
2. Sauté until they soften and turn golden brown, about 5 minutes, and then add the garlic.
3. Sauté a few moments more then add the ground beef and sausage meat.
4. Chop the meats thoroughly with a spoon to break them up into small pieces.
5. Add the tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, beef stock, oregano, basil, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
6. Stir well and heat until the entire mixture is simmering and heated through.
7. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
8. 
   

Cheese Sauce

1. Whisk eggs and cream together, then stir in the cheeses.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. 
   

Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Layer the ingredients together in a 9" x 13" x 3" or other baking pan.
3. Follow this sequence: a cup or so of sauce, a layer of noodles, half of the cheese sauce, one third of the grated Parmesan, noodle layer, meat sauce layer, noodle layer, remaining cheese sauce, one third of the grated Parmesan, noodle layer, remaining meat sauce, remaining Parmesan.
4. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour.
5. Remove foil during last 15 minutes of cooking to allow the top to get golden and crusty.