The Ultimate Lasagne

1. Preheat oven to 190°C.

2. Cook the lasagne sheets in plenty of boiling salted water until pliable and barely tender, about 10 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Drain the sheets thoroughly and coat with olive oil to keep them moist and easy to work with.

3. Coat a large skillet with olive oil, add beef and sausage and brown until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. In a food processor, combine the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, basil, parsley, an oregano. Process until pureed, add to the pan with the ground meat and stir to combine. Stir in the flour. Add the wine and cook until it has reduced by half. Stir in the tomatoes and add the cream and the cinnamon.

4. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta and the Parmesan. Stir in the eggs and season with salt and pepper.

5. To assemble the lasagne: Coat the bottom of a deep 13 by 9-inch pan with olive oil. Arrange 4 sheets lengthwise in a slightly overlapping layer on the sauce. Then, line each end of the pan with a lasagne sheet. This forms a collar that holds in the corners. Dollop 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the pasta, spread to the edges with a spatula. Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture over the ricotta. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella on top of the ricotta. Top with a ladle full of sauce, spread evenly. Repeat with the next layer of pasta, ricotta, sauce, and cheeses. Top last layer with pasta sheets, sauce, shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Tap the pan to force out air bubbles. Bake for 1 hour.

6. Remove from oven. Let lasagne rest for 30 minutes so the pasta will settle and cut easily. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence