Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Boil the lasagna noodles according to the package directions, but draining a minute or two before the time given. Alternately, you can use the soak method as described in the notes section below the recipe.
3. Start by making the sauce in a large skillet or pot. Add the oil over medium heat, then add the onions and cook for 5-7 minutes until softened.
4. Add the garlic, cook for a minute more and then add the beef to the skillet. Brown the beef by breaking up with a spoon until cooked through, drain any grease from the pan if desired.
5. Pour in the tomato sauce and add the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Stir and bring to a simmer.
6. Stir the water into the sauce and let simmer, partially covered for 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Stir the sauce occasionally while it’s cooking.
7. While the sauce is cooking, stir together the ricotta cheese, egg, salt, pepper to taste, nutmeg, parmesan cheese and parsley in a medium bowl.
8. Assemble the lasagna by spreading 1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.
9. Lay 4 noodles, overlapping to cover the bottom of the dish. Usually there’s space at one end of the dish so I lay a noodle down to cover the end, cutting off the excess.
10. Now spread half of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles, then cover with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup per layer).
11. Add about 1/3 of the sauce to the top of the cheese, making sure the cheese is all covered with sauce.
12. Next add another layer of lasagna noodles (4 overlapping across and one to cover the end, now on the opposite end of the dish) followed by the other half of the ricotta cheese mixture.
13. Spoon another 1/3 of the sauce over the cheese, then another 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
14. Add the final layer of noodles to the lasagna, followed by the rest of the sauce and the rest of the mozzarella cheese.
15. Spray a piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray, then cover the baking dish and place the lasagna in the oven for 30 minutes.
16. After 30 minutes of baking, take the lasagna out of the oven. Remove the foil and place the dish back in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling on top and the lasagna is warmed through.
17. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before cutting and serving.