Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
  
• ½ pound sweet Italian sausage
  
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  
• 48 ounces spaghetti sauce (any store-bought brand you like)
  
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
  
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  
• 2 large eggs
  
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley or 4 tablespoons freshly snipped
  
• ¼ teaspoon salt
  
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  
• 12 lasagna noodles
  
• ¼ cup water**

Instructions

1. Prepare the pan:
   Heat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly coat a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. Cook the meat sauce:
   In a large skillet set over medium heat, brown the ground beef and sausage together. Drain off the excess fat. Stir in the minced garlic and spaghetti sauce, then let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Mix the cheese filling:
   In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, 2 cups of the mozzarella, the eggs, ½ cup of Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix until everything is evenly blended.
4. Assemble the layers:
   Spread ¾ cup of the meat sauce across the bottom of the prepared pan.
   Lay down 3 uncooked lasagna noodles.
   Add one-third of the cheese mixture and one-quarter of the sauce.
   
   Continue layering in the same order:
   noodles → cheese → sauce → noodles → cheese → sauce
5. Finish the top:
   Place the final 3 noodles over the last layer. Spread the remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella and the rest of the Parmesan.
   If your sauce is especially thick, pour ½ cup water around the edges of the pan. (If your sauce is on the thinner side, you won’t need as much—or any—additional water.)
6. Bake:
   Lightly spray a sheet of foil with cooking spray and place it over the pan, sprayed side facing down so it doesn’t stick to the cheese.
   Bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes longer.
7. Rest:
   Let the lasagna sit for 10 minutes before slicing so it holds together nicely when served.

• Regular lasagna noodles cook perfectly in this recipe; oven-ready noodles aren’t required.
  
• If you prefer to pre-boil your noodles, follow the package instructions and assemble as written—but skip the added water.
  
• Fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, or parsley make an easy garnish.
  
• Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with different ingredient brands.