Nanie's Lasagna

My grandma on my dad's side, whom I refer to as Nanie, will tell you that she hates cooking. It's too much work, she says. In fact, I've heard her say it about the very recipe I'm going to share with you.

But oddly, despite her disdain for the work associated with cooking, she is a great cook, and never fails to feed us as if we will never eat again.

When we visit, the first words out of Nanie's mouth after "Hi! How are you?" are "Are you hungry?" followed by, "I've got [insert food item] if you want some," or "I thought we'd eat at [insert time]." Whether you're hungry or not is irrelevant; food is always offered. It's the Italian way, right?

On any given week-long visit to my grandparents' Florida condo, there will be at least one amazing Italian meal. Mostaccoli, stuffed shells, lasagna, shrimp scampi or whole wheat penne with Italian sausage. It always, always starts with an antipasta plate of Italian lunchmeats, cheese, hot gardinière, olives and bread.

This family recipe revival inspired me to ask my grandma for one of her recipes. Homemade lasagna doesn't have to be a treat only enjoyed at my grandparents' dinner table. I should be making meals this good on a regular basis, right?

The key to this lasagna is starting with a good homemade sauce. The key to a good homemade sauce is really quite simple – a long simmer with Italian sausage.

So from my wonderful Italian family to yours, here's Nanie's recipe for homemade sauce and lasagna.

• Olive oil
• 6 Italian sausages, halved
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (large) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Dried oregano, basil and parsley to taste

• 1/2 package lasagna noodles (see note)
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (optional)
• 16 ounces Ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown the sausages in olive oil with the garlic in the bottom of a large saucepan. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Brown the ground beef until cooked through. Drain the fat.

Boil lasagna noodles until cooked.

Meanwhile, combine Ricotta, Parmesan, eggs and parsley in a bowl and mix well.

To assemble, put a layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish, followed by a layer of noodles. Next put a layer of meat (if using) and a layer of cheese, followed by a layer of sauce. Repeat with another set of noodle, meat, cheese, sauce layers. Finish with a layer of noodles, followed by sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese has started to brown on top. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.

Serve with sausages, if desired, or save them for a sausage sandwich the next day.