Meatball Lasagna

Ingredients:

Meatballs

• 700 g raw sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 110 g sopressata slices, chopped
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 0.5 cups dry red wine
• 3 cups tomato puree (from an 800g jar)

Lasagna

• 1 package (425 g) of whole milk ricotta
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan (about 110 g)
• 18 no-boil lasagna noodles (2 x 250g packages)
• Unsalted butter, to grease the pan
• 4 cups shredded semi-skimmed mozzarella (about 450 g)
• 0.5 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 60 g)

Preparation:

1. Prepare the meatballs:
   
   In a bowl, mix the sausage and parsley together, distributing the ingredients evenly. Wet your hands and form the meat mixture into 2-cm diameter balls (about 40). Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the meatballs and cook in batches, turning, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium-high and add the soppressata, onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened slightly, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and basil and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the wine, tomato puree, and 3 cups of water.
3. Reduce heat to medium and return the meatballs to the pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, 1 hour 20 minutes.
4. Make lasagna:
   
   In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, and Parmesan. Pour hot water into a larger bowl. Soak the noodles until soft, about 5 minutes. Drain on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry with paper towels.
5. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease the bottom and sides of a deep 25x32 cm baking dish with butter.
6. Place 6 lasagna noodles in the bottom of the pan, overlapping slightly and partially extending up the sides. Spread half the ricotta mixture over the noodles, then top with half the meatballs and 1.5 cups of sauce. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella and half the pecorino cheese.
7. Repeat the layers (noodles, ricotta mixture, meatballs, sauce, mozzarella, and pecorino). Top with the remaining 6 lasagna sheets and pour the remaining sauce over them.
8. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake until golden brown, about 15 more minutes. Let rest for 20 minutes and serve.