In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, cook the sweet Italian sausage, lean ground beef, chopped onion, and mashed garlic cloves until the meat is well browned and the onions are soft. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water. Add in the granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, dried basil, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon salt, and ground black pepper. Simmer the sauce, covered, for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. This slow simmer will develop deep, rich flavors—sometimes, I add a splash of red wine for extra depth.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until al dente. Drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent sticking. I like to lay the cooked noodles flat on a clean kitchen towel so they stay separate until assembly.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese with the egg, remaining 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix everything together until smooth and fully incorporated. Using fresh parsley instead of dried really makes the ricotta filling taste more vibrant.

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread 1 ½ cups of the meat sauce (from Step 1) in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 cooked lasagna noodles (from Step 2) lengthwise over the sauce, overlapping slightly. Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture (from Step 3) over the noodles. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese slices, then spoon 1 ½ cups more meat sauce over the mozzarella. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat the layering process: noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, 1/3 mozzarella, more sauce, 1/4 cup Parmesan. Finish with a final layer of noodles, the rest of the meat sauce, remaining mozzarella cheese slices, and remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil, spraying it lightly with cooking spray or ensuring it does not touch the cheese to prevent sticking. Taking care during assembly ensures those perfect, defined layers when serving.

Bake the assembled lasagna in the preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 25 minutes covered with foil. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 25 minutes, or until the top is beautifully browned and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before serving, which makes it easier to slice and helps all the flavors settle together. I always recommend letting it rest even if you’re tempted to dig in right away—it really makes a difference in presentation and taste.