Preparation

• Gather all your ingredients.
• Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven over medium heat until well browned.
• Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water. Season with sugar, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and pepper. Simmer, covered, for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water.
• In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and ½ teaspoon salt.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• To assemble, spread 1 ½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce, overlapping slightly. Spread with ½ of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with ⅓ of the mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 ½ cups meat 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 the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes.
• Rest lasagna for 15 minutes before serving.