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1
Fill a large pasta pot with water and place over high heat.
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2
Add a generous amount of salt and bring to a boil.
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3
Cook the lasagna noodles for only 8 minutes; they should still be somewhat firm, as they will continue to cook when you bake the lasagna.
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4
Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse them quickly under cool water to stop the cooking process.
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5
Drizzle with some olive oil so the sheets dont stick together, then set aside.
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6
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and drizzle with a 2-count of olive oil.
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7
Saute the onion, garlic, and bay leaf for a couple of minutes, until the onions are translucent and smell sweet.
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8
Add the ground beef and pork, stirring to break it up, and cook until the meat is thoroughly browned, about 10 minutes.
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9
Drain out the excess fat.
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10
Combine the fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, and dried oregano in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder; give it a whirl, and sprinkle on the browned meat.
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11
Stir in the tomato paste until well blended; season with salt and pepper.
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12
Take the pan off the heat.
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13
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta and Parmigiano cheeses.
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14
Fold in the parsley, basil, and eggs, season with salt and pepper, and mix well.
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15
Preheat the oven to 350F.
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16
Take inventory of the components you should now have: slightly cooked lasagna noodles, seasoned meat mixture, ricotta cheese filling, 2 pounds of shredded mozzarella cheese, a pot of sauce, and a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
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17
Let the layering begin.
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18
Start by ladling enough sauce into the dish to cover the bottom; in my experience, this prevents the lasagna from sticking.
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19
Layer 1the noodles: Slightly overlap 4 lasagna noodles lengthwise so they completely cover the bottom with no gaps.
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20
Here is a little tip I swear by: If you take 2 lasagna noodles and line the short ends of the pan, they will act as brackets or a wall to give the lasagna support when you cut it.
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21
Layer 2the meat: Spread half the meat mixture on the top of the noodles with a spatula.
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22
The meat mixture, being the most solid element, will act as a foundation.
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23
Layer 3the cheese: Spread half the ricotta cheese mixture over the meat, smooth out with a spatula, and then sprinkle a third of the shredded mozzarella evenly over the ricotta mixture for that stringy cheese pull that you know and love.
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24
Layer 4the sauce: Top with a full ladle of tomato sauce, about 1 cup; smooth it out with a spatula.
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25
Repeat layers 1 through 4.
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26
Finish with a final layer of noodles, tomato sauce, and the remaining mozzarella.
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27
I like to tap the pan lightly on the counter to force out any air bubbles and compress the layers.
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28
Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until golden and bubbling.
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29
Allow the lasagna to sit for 20 minutes so it doesnt ooze all over the place when you cut it into squares.
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30
Pass tomato sauce and grated Parmigiano around the table.
