Lasagna with Sausage and Bacon

Regular Farfalle in Sausage & Bacon Sauce -- Decadent but delicious!

For the sauce:
1 onion, diced
1 lb bacon, diced
1 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp kosher salt
A few grinds black pepper
2 28 oz cans tomato sauce
1 cup water

In a large skillet over medium heat, add bacon and onion. Saute until bacon is crisp and onion is translucent. Add fennel, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir well. Pour in tomato sauce and water. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours, until sauce is thick. Let sauce cool before layering with the lasagna.

For the fillings:
2 lbs bulk Italian sausage
1 pint ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp oregano
6 cups shredded mozzarella and provolone cheese blend
1 16 oz package lasagna sheets

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add sausage. Saute, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through. Pour sausage onto a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, parsley and oregano. Stir well and set aside.

Set oven to 350 degrees.

Ladle 1/3 of tomato sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Add a layer of uncooked lasagna sheets. Carefully spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese over the pasta. Evenly sprinkle 1/3 of the sausage over the ricotta. And then sprinkle 2 cups of the mozzarella and provolone cheese blend over the sausage. Repeat two times.

Cover with foil and bake lasagna for 1 1/2 hours. In the last 20 minutes of baking, remove the foil, so the cheese can brown.

Yields 12 servings.

Rookie's Notes: If you are cooking this from the freezer, let it sit out for an hour before baking time. And then bake it for 2 hours.

Source:  RookieCookie