3/4 lb. Chuck, ground
1/4 lb. pork shoulder, boned and ground
4 eggs, unbeaten
About 1 c. grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
3/4 c. packaged dried bread crumbs
7 tbsp. snipped parsley
Salt
1 lb. sweet or hot Italian sausage
2 cloves garlic
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste (2/3 cup)
2 (l lb. 13 oz.) cans Italian style tomatoes
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 lb. lasagna noodles
1 tsp. dried basil
3 lb. Ricotta cheese
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 lb. Mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Day before: Mix chuck, pork, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese, crumbs, 1 tablespoon snipped parsley, 1 teaspoon salt. Divide mixture in half. Shape half into 10 large meatballs, the rest into tiny balls (about 4 dozen meatballs). In Dutch oven brown sausage with one clove garlic until some fat collects. Add meat balls and brown. Remove sausages and meatballs. To fat in dutch oven, add tomato paste, cook over low heat a few minutes. Add tomatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, and fennel seeds; simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, about 1 hour or until very thick. Add sausages, meatballs, 2 1/2 cups water. Cook slowly, uncovered about 2 hours. Remove sausages and large meatballs. Cool. Refrigerate all.

About 2 hours before serving: Cook lasagna noodles as label directs until they seem tender and not hard in the center (taste a strand now and then to be sure and not over cook them). Quickly drain and rinse noodles and hang them over side of colander for easier handling. Meanwhile, heat sauce over low heat until it bubbles. Add 2 tablespoons snipped parsley, 1 minced clove garlic and basil. Remove 1 cup of sauce, add it to large meatballs and sausages, set aside.

Blend well: Ricotta, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup snipped parsley, salt and pepper. Start heating oven to 400 degrees. In shallow open pan (14 x 10 x 2 inch) spread 1/4 of sauce, lay 1/3 of lasagna noodles one at a time over sauce in pan, until bottom is entirely covered with noodles. Spread 1/2 Ricotta mixture over noodles. Sprinkle this with 1/3 cup grated Romano cheese, dot with 1/3 pound Mozzarella in thin slices. Repeat layers of sauce, noodles, Ricotta mixture and cheeses, then add another 1/4 of sauce and remaining noodles. Sprinkle top layer of noodles with remaining grated cheese, spread rest of sauce over entire surface, and dot with remaining Mozzarella slices.

Bake lasagna 1 hour, then remove from oven and let stand on top of range 15 to 30 minutes so it will cut easily. Meanwhile, slowly reheat reserved sausages and meatballs in sauce. Nice with large tossed green salad, plus fresh fruit or sherbet for dessert. A wonderful recipe for 10 to 12 hungry people.