Meat Lasagna with Four Cheeses

A Classic Comfort Food Recipe with Home Made Bolognese Sauce

This lasagna recipe uses my home made bolognese sauce, chock full of fresh veggies and meat and slow-cooked in the crock-pot. I choose Japanese eggplants over Italian because I find they cook through better. Of course, you can use your own favourite pasta sauce and your own choice of eggplants, (or leave the eggplants out entirely).

I use a 13-inch lasagna glass baking dish. If you use a full-size lasagna pan, you'll want to increase the quantities of cheese and sauce by about a third.

Ingredients

Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles
Bolognese Sauce, 4 - 6 cups
1 lb asiago, shredded
1 lb mozarella, shredded
2 cups fresh ricotta, mixed with one egg
1 cup grated parmesan
Fresh Basil, about 6 leaves, finely chopped
Japanese eggplant, 1 sliced thinly lengthwise and grilled for about 10 minutes

Cooking Method

Coat the bottom of the lasagna pan with 1 to 1 1/2 cups of bolognese sauce
lay lasagna noodles side by side on top of sauce
use a spatula to spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles
lay the eggplant slices side by side over the ricotta cheese
sprinkle about a third of the asiago and the mozarella over the eggplant
pour 1 1/2 cups of the bolognese sauce over, thoroughly covering
sprinkle shredded fresh basil
add another layer of noodles and repeat the ricotta, eggplant, cheeses, basil and sauce
for the last layer, just lay the noodles, cover thoroughly with sauce and loads of cheese, including all of the parmesan
Bake in 350 degree oven, 20-30 min covered, then 20-30 min uncovered

Let the lasagna sit for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving -- with garlic bread, of course!