LAYERS of decadence

pound lean ground beef ½ cup minced onion 5 cloves garlic, crushed 1½ kg crushed tomatoes 180 ml tomato paste 200 ml tomato sauce ½ cup water 2 tablespoons white sugar 1½ tsp dried basil leaves ½ tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp Italian seasoning 1 tbsp salt ¼ tsp ground black pepper 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 12 lasagna noodles 16 ounces ricotta cheese 1 egg ½ tsp salt ¾ pound mozzarella cheese, sliced ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese mer covered, for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. For vegetarian version, follow the process for about 20 minutes.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Boil your noodles in batches to avoid noodles sticking together. Once water is boiling, place noodles upright on the sides of your pot. It’s okay if they fall on top of one another. Be sure to stir gently and cook for just the right amount time. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and ½ tsp salt. Preheat oven to 1900 C. To assemble, spread 1½ cups of meat/mushroom sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over the sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture.

Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1½ cups of sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.