Beef Lasagna Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14 ounce) can Italian-style crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 lasagna noodles
1 egg
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 (16 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

  • Brown sausage and ground beef with onion and garlic in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, cooking and stirring until meat is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and discard grease. Stir tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, Italian-style crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, 2 tablespoons parsley, brown sugar, salt, Italian seasoning, black pepper, fennel seeds, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese into meat mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer sauce for at least 1 hour (up to 6 for best flavor). Stir occasionally.
  • Place lasagna noodles into a deep bowl and cover with very hot tap water; let soak for 30 minutes.
  • Beat egg in a bowl and stir ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and nutmeg into egg until thoroughly combined.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  • Cover bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish with 1 cup sauce. Layer 4 soaked lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, 1/3 of the shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese in the dish. Repeat layers twice more, ending with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cover dish with aluminum foil.
  • Bake until lasagna noodles are tender and casserole is bubbling, about 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese topping is lightly browned, 15 to 20 more minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Prank Calls

Did you make prank calls when you were a kid or teen?

Yes but not often. I used to sometime prank my own mom. I would call and change my voice as much as I could and ask for my dad or me and pretend it’s the electricity board or the school/college or the police and say that I or my dad is in trouble or needs to come to the phone now. And I have made my cousin change her voice and pretend to be a girl I was going out with and was asking for me on April 1st.

I remember once back in the late 1980s a couple of my cousins and I were bored one afternoon in Trivandrum and prank called a bunch of people using fake names and celebrity names and asking for other celebrities who we insisted lived in their homes. We were like 10-12 years old and giggling uncontrollably even before we could finish asking for the person we wanted to speak to.

But other than that I can’t remember ever making prank calls. Once in a while I have pranked my own mum because that is funny as hell.

Prompt from 31 Days Of October Writing Prompts at The SitsGirls