Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. This ensures a perfectly cooked lasagna.
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, bring 4 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. The salt will help flavor the lasagna noodles.
Add the lasagna noodles to the boiling water and cook until al dente, usually about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Once cooked, drain the noodles well and rinse with cold water. This stops the cooking process and helps avoid that sticky texture.
In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese with 1 egg, dried parsley, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix well and set aside to chill until you’re ready to assemble.
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and onion. Cook until the beef is mostly browned, which should take about 5 minutes. If there's excess fat, drain it.
Stir in garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.
Next, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, granulated sugar, dried basil, and Italian seasoning. Let this simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season the sauce to taste with salt and black pepper. You should end up with around 2 quarts of rich meat sauce.
In the bottom of a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish, spread 2 cups of the meat sauce. Layer your first set of lasagna noodles over the sauce, placing 3 full-size noodles lengthwise and one partial across.
Spread a heaping 2/3 cup of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, then top it off with about 1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with ⅓ cup of Parmesan cheese.
Spoon another 2 cups of meat sauce over the cheese. Layer more noodles, followed by the ricotta mixture, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Repeat this process for a total of 3 layers.
Once assembled, cut the lasagna into twelve pieces. This will make it easier to serve later without disrupting the layers.
Cover the baking dish with a large piece of foil that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray to prevent sticking.
Bake, covered, for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking until the lasagna is hot and bubbly, about another 25 minutes.
Let the lasagna cool for about 5 minutes before garnishing with fresh parsley or basil if desired. Serve and enjoy!
