Who doesn't love lasagna?!  Once it's actually made, it is easy to cook, serve, love.  Yes, I know that in other places, one can easily find such a wonder readily prepared and frozen for an even easier experience.  BUT, for those of us who aren't in such places, we still want a rockin' good lasagna every now and then.  This is for you, dear friends without Walmarts.  And for those of you with said access, I still recommend trying this sometime, because the sauce and meat themselves have a much better flavor than mass-produced version, however appealing they may be.

Our favorite lasagna is a development from several recipes (this is a trend for me) based on what we can get here, what flavors we like best, our homemade marinara, and a desire to get as close to Italian sausage as possible.  I'll describe how to assemble each of the four main layers (meat, sauce, cheese mixture, vegetables - optional).  I'll also provide pictures for assembly for immediate use, as well as for freezing.  It's a little work intensive, but worth it.  I always make two at a time, so I know I have another one ready in the freezer anytime.  What a treat.

With no further ado...

Ok, I'll break this up into the layers.  

* SAUCE:  See our recipe in detail here.  However, you can choose to use any marinara sauce you have on hand.  
  You'll need 2 quarts of it.  


* MEAT:  You can use any ground meat you prefer.  We use beef, but season it with Italian sausage flavors.  For     
  more authenticity, use ground pork.
       Ingredients:  1 lb ground meat
                          1 1/2 t garlic powder
                          1/4 c cold water
                          1 1/2 t salt
                          3/4 t pepper
                          1/2 t ground fennel seed
                          2 T grated parmesan cheese
                          1/2 t hot red pepper flakes

       Directions: Mix seasonings well.  Add meat and blend thoroughly by hand.  Leave to allow flavors to meld, up to            
                       overnight (preferred, but can be prepared immediately if needed). Brown meat, breaking apart as you 
                       cook.  Set aside.

* CHEESE: This calls for ricotta, but cottage cheese can be substituted.  It's not sold here, so I haven't tried it, but it     
   is an accepted change for this type of mixture.  
        Ingredients: 1 cup ricotta cheese 
                          4 cups grated mozzarella, divided
                          1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan, divided
                          2 eggs
                          1 T Italian seasoning
 
        Directions:  Mix ricotta, eggs, Italian seasoning, 2 cups mozzarella, and 1 cup Parmesan.  Stir well and set 
                          aside, with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

* VEGETABLES: (Optional) I would recommend zucchini, caramelized onions, carrots, garlic, and/or mushrooms.
         Ingredients: Vegetables as desired, totaling about 1-2 cups.  
                           Butter or olive oil

         Directions: Prepare the vegetables either in tiny dices or grated (recommended especially for carrots).  Heat 
                          about 1 T of butter or olive oil in a saute pan.  Add vegetables and saute until tender (with the  
                          exception of already caramelized onions.  (They actually won't cook much further in the lasagna.)  
                          Set aside.

* NOODLES: You'll need 9-12 no boil lasagna noodles, depending on their size and the size of your dish.

*ASSEMBLY

1. Scoop 2 cups of sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish, extra deep if available.  Spread the sauce to cover the bottom (or give the dish a shimmy...that works, too).
2. Place 3 or 4 lasagna noodles to create a solid layer.
3. Scoop half of the cheese mixture onto the noodles.  Spread to cover as evenly as possible.  (This is a bit difficult.  I find that a fork works well, but you'll pat it out more so than spread like peanut butter.)
4. Sprinkle half of the meat over the cheese, distributing evenly.
5. Sprinkle half of the prepared vegetables (if using) over the meat, again distributing evenly.
6. Scoop 2 more cups of sauce and spread evenly over meat and vegetable.
7. Lightly sprinkle about 1/2 cup of mozzarella over the sauce.
8. Repeat steps 2 through 7 once more - noodles, cheese mixture, meat, vegetables, sauce, mozzarella.
9. To finish, top with another layer of noodles, then remaining sauce.  Generously cover the top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
10. At this point, you can freeze your lasagna, cover with plastic wrap to place in the fridge for later use, or go ahead and cook it.
11. To cook, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for an hour, then remove the foil and continue cooking for a few more minutes until the cheese on top has completely melted.  Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting, or you'll have a runny mess of lasagna on the plate instead of a cut piece.
12. Serve with some good bread to wipe up the sauce drippings.