Instructions

Sauce

1. Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic in large dutch oven over medium heat until browned. Drain excess grease.
2. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water.
3. Add sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the parsley.
4. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Don't bother cooking regular noodles. Just soak them in really hot tap water in the baking dish for 20-30 minutes before using rather than dirty another pot. They won't be fully cooked, but soft and will finish cooking in the oven. (Obviously you can cook them according to package directions if you prefer, though). No-cook noodles don't need to be cooked or soaked at all.
3. Combine the ricotta cheese, egg, salt, nutmeg, and remaining parsley in a medium bowl.
4. Spread 1 1/2 cups of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Lay lasagna noodles in a single layer over the sauce. Dollop half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles and spread in a thin, even layer. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese. Spread with another 1 1/2 cups of the sauce.
5. Repeat with another layer of noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, half of the remaining mozzarella cheese, and another 1/4 cup of the parmesan. Top with another 1 1/2 cups of sauce.
6. Top with a third, final layer of lasagna noodles, then cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
7. Cover with foil then bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and starting to brown on top.
8. Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.