My Mom's Lasagna

Time consuming, but worth it. This is a recipe my mom only makes for holidays or when her kids come home to visit. The sauce is better if you make it the day before and let it sit over night. You can make this ahead of time and freeze for a few weeks before you bake them. Serve in large squares smothered with any left over tomato sauce and a little parmesan on top.

• Preparation Time: 1 hr 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Total Time: 3 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 814 Calories

Ingredients

• salt and pepper to taste
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 12 ounces tomato paste
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 onions, minced
• 6 (16 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 10 leaves fresh basil leaves, torn
• 2 (16 ounce) packages lasagna noodles
• 4 pounds ricotta cheese

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the onions and garlic until soft and slightly clear. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Stir in the tomato paste, salt and pepper. Lower heat to medium, just hot enough to keep lightly bubbling. Add basil leaves and cook, stirring occasionally for an hour. Add salt and pepper and red wine and allow to simmer another hour or until desired consistency. Remove from heat and let it cool. If you have time, let it sit in the refrigerator over night.

Step 3

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until al dente; drain and allow to cool.

Step 4

You'll need two 9x13 inch baking trays. Put a layer of sauce in the bottom of the tray, then a layer of slightly overlapping lasagna noodles. Spread a layer of ricotta over the noodles and a light sprinkling of mozzarella. Repeat until you fill the tray, making sure that you end up with lasagna noodles on top. Spread a layer of sauce over the noodles and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan. Cover with foil.

Step 5

Bake in a preheated oven for an hour. Remove the foil and bake another half hour.