When Soup's Not Enough

That lasagna soup really did a number on me.  I can't remember the last time I was so obsessed with a new recipe.  And so after making it, all I could think of was lasagna.  All the time.

It was like the soup had flicked on a switch in my head.  A switch that couldn't be flicked off.  Or at least, not without valiant effort.

Have you ever had a song verse stuck in your head?  Over and over again it plays.  And I've found the best way to get rid of it is to sing the full song out loud.  I personally tend to do this in the shower since it brings all sorts of unwanted attention in the supermarket.  I thought I would try the same technique with lasagna.  Maybe if I made an actual (non soup) version, I could get this thought unstuck.

And so I began.  Thatboy is partial to meat in his lasagnas.  Because of the brilliant sausage in the soup, I knew I wanted to use that in my lasagna - with some ground beef thrown in too of course.  Layering tomato sauce, cheese, and noodles was almost cathartic.  Like putting together pieces of a puzzle.  I knew it was going to come together in the end. 

It was smart of me to make a meat-lasagna.  It's been a while since I've done that.  The last one I made was chicken based, and while it was good, this one is far superior.  Thatboy has declared it his new favorite lasagna.  See - the way to a man's heart is definitely red meat.  As for me?  The song is still there, but at least it's died down to a hum.

Super Meaty Lasagna

1/2 pound Italian sausage

6 ounces ground beef

1/4 cup minced onion

1 clove garlic, minced

marinara sauce

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

6 lasagna noodles

1/2 pound ricotta cheese

1 egg yolk

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until browned. 
2. Stir in marinara sauce. Heat through.
3.  In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg yolk, parsley, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
4. Preheat oven to 375. Spread 3/4 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. 
5.  Arrange 2 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella. Spoon 3/4 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese. 
6. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake 25 minutes.
7. Uncover foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.