Lasagna for #Dinner {#WeeknightSupper}

Some Monday's are just that...unpleasant and a little dreadful. Part that this Monday felt this...well Mondayish Icky...way must have been in part because we changed to daylight savings time yesterday. Today just did not seem to have enough hours in it; Monday is usually my domestic day where I try {no chuckling, Ron} get caught up on wash, get all the shopping done, and take care of all other domestic issues.  Today - I often work from my home office - was different as work could not wait, and then it was all downhill from there.  You know, rush to the store, pick-up kids....nothing too crazy really, but I am just a little under the weather today.  Maybe that is it :)  But you know what I sometimes do to feel better? I cook and try to make something new...

So, today I gave lasagna a try and am happy to report that the entire family was happy with the end result.  On my shopping trip, I picked up fresh pasta sheets from Pastaworks on Hawthorne as well as a tub of Better than Cheese Ricotta from Tofutti {this was my first time giving it a try}. Maybe I should also tell you, that lasagna is not in my "usual" repertoire so it was something new to me.

Here it is...

Lasagna with Better than Cheese Ricotta

• Splash of Olive Oil
• 1 onion diced
• 1 large garlic clove minced
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1-1/2 tsp basil {dried}
• 1-1/2 tsp Italian Herbs
•    1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• generous amount of fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage {bulk}
• 2 small cans plain tomato paste
• 2-3 C of water
• 1/2 red wine
• 1 pinch of sugar
• 1 large tomato diced {or several small ones to amount to about 2 C diced - I had a frozen tomato  left in my freezer from last summer}
• 3 large sheets fresh pasta {or a box of no boil lasagna pasta}
• 1 tub of Tofutti Better than Cheese Ricotta
• 2-3 C of grated Parmesiano Reggiano {or replace with Daiya Mozzarella}

1. Heat Splash of olive oil in pot. When hot, add onions with a pinch of salt and sauté until they are soft.
2. Add garlic, and sauté for a another minute or so before adding all of the herbs, and spices. Mix it all up, sauté another minute then
3. Add meat.  Cook meat and stir it frequently.  When meat is browned and crumbly,
4. Add tomato paste and red wine.  Mix it all into the onion/meat mixture.  Cook for another minute or two then,
5. Add water, pinch of sugar, and the tomatoes.
6. Let simmer on low for at least an hour.  Adjust salt and pepper.
7. Prepare a baking dish and preheat oven to 350F
8. Pour a little sauce in the bottom of the pan,
9. Cover sauce with pasta sheet(s)
10. Pour sauce on the pasta sheet, crumble 1/2 of the Better than Cheese Ricotta on top of the meat sauce, top "Ricotta" with a generous sprinkling {1 C} of Parmesiano Reggiano {or Daiya}, and cover with pasta sheet(s)
11. Repeat step 10
12. Smear rest of the sauce on top of the last pasta sheet, and cover with Parmesiano Reggiano {or Daiya}
13. Bake in oven for about 30-40 minutes until bubbly

Here is the family...