Gather all your ingredients.

Cook 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, ¾ lb lean ground beef, ½ cup minced onion, and 2 cloves garlic in a Dutch oven over medium heat until well browned.

Stir in 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes, 2 (6 ½ oz) cans canned tomato sauce, 2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste, and ½ cup water. Season with 2 tbsp white sugar, 2 tablespoons 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 1 ½ tsp dried basil leaves, 1 teaspoon 1 ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp fennel seeds, and ¼ tsp ground black pepper. Simmer, covered, for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted ½ cup water to a boil. Cook 12 lasagna noodles in boiling ½ cup water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with ½ cup water.

In a mixing bowl, combine 16 oz ricotta cheese with 1 egg, remaining 2 tablespoons 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon 1 ½ tsp salt.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

To assemble, spread 1 ½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce, overlapping slightly. Spread with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 ½ cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese.

Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella cheese and ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes.

Let the lasagna rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes before cutting; this helps it set and firm up.