Overflowing Lasagna

My Mom is an excellent cook.  She's self-taught and has learned along the way how to feed a hungry crowd leaving them totally satisfied and delighted wishing that their stomachs could handle more.  I had company coming into town (actually my in-laws) and thought I would make a lasagna.  What better way to feed a crowd right?! Well I didn't exactly follow a recipe but more my Mom's guidelines.  What resulted was a delicious yet VERY saucy lasagna (pictured above).  Caution: if you plan to make this much sauce, place a cookie sheet underneath in the oven as the lasagna will most likely bubble over.

Overflowing Lasagna
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

1 pkg no-cook lasagna noodles
1 lb ground beef
1 lb sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sized onion chopped
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 jar favorite pasta sauce
1 14.5 oz can italian diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
2 T chopped fresh parsley
16 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 1/2 - 2 cups Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned.  Season with oregano, basil, salt and pepper.  Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and tomato sauce.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.