Simple Lasagna With Hearty Tomato-Meat Sauce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until just soft. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1-2 more minutes.

Add the ground beef, ground veal, ground pork, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes, breaking up the meat as you stir. Add the cream and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 more minutes.

Add the pureed and diced tomatoes and turn the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cook for 5 minutes then remove the pan from the heat.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the Parmesan, the basil, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

Spread 1/4 cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Place 3 noodles in an even layer over the sauce. Top the noodles with 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture, spreading it evenly over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Top with 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce, spreading evenly.

Repeat the layers of noodles, ricotta, Mozzarella, and meat sauce 2 more times. Place the 3 remaining lasagna noodles over the last layer of meat sauce. Top with the remaining meat sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Mozzarella cheese, and then the remaining Parmesan cheese.

Cover the lasagna with non-stick foil, or greased foil, and place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes then remove the foil. Let bake for 25 more minutes or until the cheese has started to brown and the sauce is bubbly.

Remove the lasagna from the oven and let cool, lightly tented with the foil, for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

This lasagna freezes well. Tightly wrap the unbaked lasagna in plastic wrap and then foil. Defrost in the refrigerator for 48 hours then bake as directed.