My Mom’s Lasagna

Except for my substituting no-boil noodles (it’s a huge time-saver), this is pretty much the lasagna that turned my mom from an English-Irish girl from Jersey into a real Italian cook. Remember to save one of the crispy corners for yourself.

1pound lean ground beef

½pound hot Italian sausage

1small yellow onion, chopped

2cloves garlic, minced

1teaspoon dried oregano

2tablespoons tomato paste

126.42-ounce container strained tomatoes, such as Pomì

2large eggs

30ounces part-skim ricotta

116-ounce bag shredded mozzarella

cup plus ¼ cup grated Parmesan

1tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

½teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

11-pound box no-boil lasagna noodles

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the beef and sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 2 minutes.

Add the onions, garlic, and dried oregano and cook until the onions are softened and the meat is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, ⅓ cup Parmesan, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine.

Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Arrange a layer of noodles over the sauce and top with a third of the ricotta filling. Spoon over a layer of sauce and top with another layer of noodles. Continue with 2 more layers of ricotta, sauce, and noodles, ending with a top layer of noodles.

Spoon a thin layer of the remaining sauce over the top, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over the noodles, and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and cook until the cheese is golden and the lasagna is bubbling, another 15 to 20 minutes.

Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.