Genuine Italian Lasagna

I got this recipe from Our Best Bites recipe blog. SO GOOD!  Labor intensive (took 3 hours), but soooo worth it. My husband says it's the best lasagna he's ever had (he had it for breakfast this morning, people), and our friend said it was "heavenly". HA! Most poetic thing I've heard him say.
I like this website, though I haven't loved everything I've tried from it. Funny people. She says, "Some...may balk at the idea of vegetables in their Man Food. If you're not a fan of chunky vegetables in your lasagna, you could try grating them or tossing them in your food processor and letting Ms. Cuisinart do all the hard work. That way, you'll still get the hearty flavor and nutrients of the vegetables, but no one really has to know." She also says, "This serves 12. And wanna know what's awesome? If you use super lean ground beef, it has around 250 calories and 5 Weight Watcher points! Seriously, the TASTIEST, most filling 5 points you'll ever have in your life."

Genuine Italian Lasagna 

Pasta/Lasagna Sauce

1/2 lb. ground beef or Italian sausage

2 15-oz. cans Italian-style diced tomatoes

1 15-oz. can tomato sauce

4-5 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

1 onion, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped or grated

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into small pieces

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 tsp. sugar

About 1/4 tsp. baking soda (this neutralizes the acid)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan or skillet with a lid, brown ground beef (or sausage), onions, and garlic until meat is cooked and onions are tender. Add the remaining ingredients to the cooked meat, stir, and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. After an hour, remove from heat. Taste to see if it needs more salt and/or pepper.

Béchamel (BAY-sha-mel) Sauce
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) real butter, NO SUBSTITUTES
1/4. c. white flour
2 1/2 c. milk

Preheat oven to 350.
To prepare Béchamel sauce, melt butter over over medium to medium-low heat (closer to medium) in a medium saucepan. When melted, whisk in flour until combined. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Heat until bubbly and thickened to a medium consistency (I don't know if it's my pots, but I always have to turn temp. to medium to get sauce to thicken and bubble). Mix with pasta/lasagna sauce.

FINALLY for the lasagna

12 no-boil lasagna noodles
8 oz. shredded mozzarella, divided
4 oz. fresh shredded Parmesan
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 16-oz. tub Ricotta

1. Combine 6 oz. mozzarella (about 1 3/4 c.), ricotta, Parmesan, and the beaten egg.

2. Using a ladle that measures 1/2 c. (or a 1/2 c. measuring cup), spread 1 c. of sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Add 3 noodles. Spread a layer of the cheese mixture. Spread 1 1/2 c. sauce and repeat so you have 4 layers of noodles. You should end with a layer of sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella (and some extra Parmesan if you have some left over)

Cover tightly with foil and bake about 50 minutes.

Remove from oven and remove foil. It will probably look a little runny. Don't be scared--you still need to let it stand about 15-20 minutes. During that time, it will thicken up nicely.