World’s best lasagna

Sausage, sweet Italian, casting removed, crumbed	1 pound
Beef, lean, ground	¾ pound
Shallots, minced	½ cup
Garlic, minced	3 cloves
Tomatoes, crushed	28 ounces
Tomato paste	12 ounces
Tomato sauce	13 ounces
Water	½ cup
Sugar	2 tablespoons
Fennel seeds	1 teaspoon
Italian seasonings	1 teaspoon
Salt	½ teaspoon + ½ teaspoon
Pepper, freshly ground	½ teaspoon
Parsley, freshly chopped	¼ cup + ¼ cup
Lasagna noodles, cooked	12
Cheese, ricotta	16 ounces
Egg	1 large
Cheese, mozzarella, fresh, sliced	¾ pound
Cheese, Parmesan, grated	¾ cup

1. In a large stockpot, cook the sausage, beef, shallot, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. 
2. Stir in the tomatoes and water. 
3. Season with the sugar, basil, fennel, Italian seasoning, ½-teaspoon salt, pepper, and ¼-cup parsley. 
4. Simmer, covered, for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. 
5. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta with the egg, ¼-cup parsley, and ½-teaspoon salt. 
6. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 
7. To assemble, spread 1 ½-cups meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. 
8. Arrange six noodles lengthwise over the meat sauce, and spread with half of the ricotta mixture. 
9. Top with a third of the mozzarella slices. 
10. Spoon 1 ½-cups meat sauce over the mozzarella, and sprinkle with ¼-cup Parmesan. 
11. Repeat layers, and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. 
12. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, spray the foil with cooking spray. 
13. Bake for 25 minutes, remove the foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. 
14. Cool 15 minutes before serving. 

Recipe mildly adapted from allrecipes.com.