Categories: Pasta, Italian 
      Yield: 6 servings 
  
      1 lb Of lean ground beef, or           1/4 ts Freshly ground pepper 
           -Italian sausage                    1    Bay leaf, broken in half 
      3 tb Olive oil                          15 oz Fresh ricotta 
      1 lg Onion, chopped (to make 1           4 c  Grated mozzarella cheese 
           -cup)                             1/4 c  Freshly grated Parmesan 
      1 lg Red or green bell pepper                 -cheese 
           -(finely chopped)                   1    Egg 
      2 lg Garlic cloves, minced             1/2 ts Salt 
     28 oz Italian plum tomatoes               8    Lasagne noodles (about 6 
      6 oz Can tomato paste                         -oz.) 
    1/3 c  Water                               1 tb Olive oil 
  1 1/2 ts Dried basil                       1/4 c  Freshly grated Parmesan 
      1 ts Oregano                                  -cheese 
      1 ts Sugar (optional)                  1/4 c  Freshly grated mozzarella 
           Salt                                     -cheese 
  
  Remove  sausage  casings and crumble sausage.   Brown  meat  in large pot, 
  stirring occasionally to break up the meat.   Drain off fat. 
   
  Remove meat and set aside.  Heat 3 tablespoons oil in the  same pot, add 
  onion, garlic and bell pepper and cook  over  medium heat, stirring 
  occasionally, about 5 to 8  minutes  or  until onion is tender. 
   
  Stir  in the reserved meat, tomato puree, tomato paste,  water, basil, 
  oregano, sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon  pepper and bay leaf and 
  bring to boil.  Cover and  simmer,  stirring occasionally, about 2 hours, 
  or  until  flavors  mingle  and mixture thickens slightly (there will be 
  about 4 1/2 to 5  cups of sauce). 
   
  Combine ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, egg, 1/4 teaspoon salt,  and 1/4 
  teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl; set aside. 
   
  Bring  3  quarts  of  water to boil in  a  large  pot.   Add  1 tablespoon 
  salt,  then gradually add lasagne noodles  so  that water continues to 
  boil.  Cook noodles until  barely  tender, about 5 minutes, stirring once 
  or twice;  do  not  overcook. Drain noodles; rinse in cold water and drain 
  well.   Return noodles to pot and toss them gently with 1 tablespoon oil to 
  prevent them sticking. 
   
  Line  the  bottom of a a buttered 9 x 13 x 2-inch  pan  with  4 lasagne 
  noodles, cutting one as necessary to completely  cover the bottom. Spread 
  evenly with half of  ricotta  mixture  (1 generous cup). Sprinkle evenly 
  with half of mozarella (about 2 cups). Spread with half of the tomato/meat 
  sauce. 
   
  Top  with remaining 4 noodles, cutting one noodle as  above  so that the 
  sauce mixture is completely covered.  Evenly layer  on remaining 
  ingredients in the same order as above.  Sprinkle the top of the lasagne 
  evenly with 1/4 cup Parmesan and  1/4  cup mozzarella. 
   
  Bake  in a preheated oven at 375 for about 45 or 50 minutes  or until 
  lasagne is hot in center.  Remove from oven;  let  stand for 15 minutes. 
  Cut in squares and serve on heated plates  with garlic bread.