I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and decided to try it based on the number of reviews.....almost a thousand w/ 5 stars.......after reading all of the reviews i decided to just make the sauce and use it over pasta......omg......it was SOOOOOO freaking good....i didn't use any italian sausage and only used ground beef.....i also used fresh basil leaves instead of dried....best sauce i have ever tasted.....thought i'd share....here is the link:  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Worlds-Best-Lasagna/Detail.aspx

World's Best Lasagna

Submitted by: John Chandler Rated: 5 out of 5 by 935 members

Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes

Ready In: 3 Hours 15 Minutes Yields: 12 servings

1 pound sweet Italian sausage 3/4 pound lean ground beef 1/2 cup minced onion 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons white sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 tablespoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 12 lasagna noodles 16 ounces ricotta cheese 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS: 1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. 2. 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 parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. 3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 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. 5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. This recipe appears in the Allrecipes "Tried & True Slow Cooker & Casserole" cookbook. Buy it online at http://www.shopallrecipes.com/ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2007 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 9/30/2007