Three Cheese Lasagna with Italian Sausage

For the sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrots

2 tablespoons minced garlic

8 ounces lean ground beef

6 ounces spicy Italian sausages, casings removed

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with added puree

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon golden brown sugar

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

For the lasagna

15 lasagna noodles (about 12 ounces)

2 (15-ounce) containers part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, squeezed dry

2 large eggs

4 3/4 cups grated mozzarella cheese (about 1 1/4 pounds)

Make the sauce: Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and garlic; saute until softened, about 12 minutes. Add beef and sausages to pan; saute until cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer until flavors blend and sauce measures about 5 cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Cool.

Make the lasagna: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Drain; cover with cold water.

Combine ricotta and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Mix in spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs.

Drain pasta and pat dry. Spread 1/2 cup sauce over bottom of 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Place 5 noodles over sauce, overlapping to fit. Spread half of ricotta-spinach mixture evenly over noodles. Sprinkle 2 cups mozzarella cheese evenly over ricotta-spinach mixture. Spoon 1 1/2 cups sauce over cheese, spreading with spatula to cover (sauce will be thick). Repeat layering with 5 noodles, remaining ricotta-spinach mixture, 2 cups mozzarella and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Arrange remaining 5 noodles over sauce. Spread remaining sauce over noodles. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese evenly over lasagna. (Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.) Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake lasagna 40 minutes; uncover and bake until hot and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 8.

Source: Bon Appetit, March 1997