Lasagna

This takes a little time but it is well worth the effort!

16 pieces lasagna pasta
1 large (about 30 ounces) jar of spaghetti sauce
1 pound ground beef (or Italian sausage, whichever you prefer)
4 cups ricotta cheese
1 egg
mixed Italian spices (oregano, basil, thyme)
16 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees farenheit. Cook the pasta in a large pot. I find it helps to prevent sticking if you add a tiny bit of olive oil. Simultaneously, brown the ground beef (or Italian sausage), draining off any excess fat. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, reserving some for the bottom of the baking dish and for the top of the lasagna. As the strips of lasagna pasta cook place them on a sheet of aluminum foil. Put some sauce in the bottom of the baking dish (to prevent sticking). Place a layer of pasta on the bottom of the dish. Cover with the meat mixture. Cover the meat with a layer of pasta. Mix one egg and Italian spices into the ricotta. Spread evenly over the pasta. Cover ricotta with another layer of pasta. Spread sauce over the pasta. Cover the topmost layer of pasta with shredded mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with dried oregano. Cover with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for a further 10 minutes. The cheese on the top should be thoroughly melted and starting to bubble and brown at the edges. Let it stand for about 10 minutes before trying to cut it.

This is very nice served with some garlic bread and red wine.