If there's one thing Italians know how to make, it's pasta sauce. And mine is the best.

Ancient family recipe I tweaked by using canned mushrooms. Used it for a lasagne and it came out amazinggggg. May or may not have eaten the whole thing in 2 days. :)

DONDI’s HANGB PASTA-MEAT SAUCE

½ oz Dried Italian Mushrooms                       2 lbs. Ground meat (Beef, Veal, or Game)    

3 tbls Olive Oil                                               1 cup Dry Red Wine

¼ cup Butter                                                   2 (28-oz.) cans Contadina Seasoned Crushed

4 cloves fresh Garlic, finely chopped                 Tomatoes, w/Italian Herbs

1 lg. Onion, finely chopped                            2 tbls dried Italian Seasoning

2 med. Carrots, finely chopped                       1 tbls dried Basil

2-3 Celery stalks, finely chopped                   1 tbls dried Oregano                 

½ lb. Italian Sausage, ground                              Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Soak dried mushrooms in 2 cups of hot water until they are reconstituted, then strain thru a cheesecloth lined sieve, retaining the strained liquid,  chop the mushrooms along with the other veggies.  Melt butter with oil in a large saucepan.  When butter foams, add onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and mushrooms.  Saute over medium heat until lightly browned.  Add ground meat & sausage. Cook and stir until meat in no longer pink.  Season with salt & pepper.  Increase heat and stir in wine and reserved mushroom liquid.

Cook until liquid has evaporated. Press tomatoes through a food mill or sieve, to remove seeds.  Stir tomato pulp into the meat/veggie mixture. .Add all the spices.  Cover and reduce heat.  Simmer 1 to 1 ½  hours or until sauce reaches a medium-thick consistency.  Stir occasionally during cooking to mix and prevent sticking.  Makes 5-6 cups of sauce. Leftover sauce can be frozen.                 

       

Lasagne

8 oz noodles

8 oz ricotta cheese

1 egg beaten

2 TBL grated Parma. cheese

3/4 lb. Mozzarella or Monterey jack sliced thin

1/4 cup Parma. cheese.

Cook noodles according to pkg. directions. Drain and cool a bit. Blend ricotta with egg and 2 TBL Parma. cheese. In a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish spread about 1/2 cup of sauce. Over this layer 1/3 of noodles, half of the ricotta mixture and 1/3 of the Mozza or Jack cheese. Cover with sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parma. Repeat. Top with remaining Noodles, cover generously with sauce, remaining Mozza or Jack, and Parma.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.