Well worth the effort.

Tomato Sauce
5 Roma tomatoes (skinned)*
2 TBSP tomato paste
2 TBSP olive oil
½ cup dry red wine
1 can of tomato sauce

• (To skin a tomato cut an X on the top and bottom of the tomato, drop in boiling water until the skin starts to come off, rinse in cold water and pull off skin, chop tomatoes)

In a large cast iron skillet sauté tomato paste in oil, add the chopped tomatoes. Cook on low for 2 hours. Periodically mash the tomatoes with a potato masher. After an hour of cooking when the water from the tomatoes has evaporated, mash the pulp again add ½ cup of red wine. Later add the can of tomato sauce and flavored olive oil and warm a little on low then cool.Tomato Sauce from the Vine

One big batch of fresh San Marzano tomatoes

Run the tomatoes through a tomato miller. This mill machine separates the seeds and skin from the meat. This yielded exactly 56 oz. of meat.

In a large pan, add all the these ingredients.

1/3 cup olive oil
Pinch of red pepper flake
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
56 oz. milled tomato meat

In a small food processor chop:
½ onions
4 garlic cloves
1 TBSP fresh oregano
1 TBSP fresh basil
1 TBSP fresh mint

Cook all on a low temp until the water evaporates and the sauce gets thick. Maybe 3 hours or more on low.  Refrigerate overnight.

Pasta
In a food processor, several pulses don’t over work:
2 cups of flour
Pinch of salt
3 eggs
Tad bit of olive oil

Knead the dough. Cut into six quarters, run through a pasta machine on setting 2, then 4, then setting 6. This will yield 6 pasta pieces.  Boil in water 1 minute. Remove and set aside.  You might not need all this pasta but it better to cook more so you are not short.

Eggplant
Slice the eggplant ¼ inch – 6 pieces. In a baking sheet paint olive oil on both sides and cook in a 350ᵒ oven for 10 minutes.

Italian Sausage Meat

½ Lbs. ground beef
½ Lbs. round pork
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. paprika
1 pinch red pepper flakes
½ tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. Italian seasoning (herbs)
1 TBSP olive oil

Mix together in a large bowl. In a large pan add the oil and lightly brown the meat. Set aside.

Ricotta
4 or 5 leaves of fresh basil chopped
1 – 15 oz. container of ricotta
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs

In a large bowl mix all ingredients.

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In a 2 ½ quart Corning Ware casserole dish layer as follows:

1st Layer – sauce, then pasta
2nd Layer – sauce, ricotta cheeses mix, pasta
3rd Layer – sauce, eggplant, pasta
4th Layer – sauce, meat mix, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese

In a 350ᵒ oven bake Lasagna 1 hour, let rest for 5 minutes and serve.

As of 8/28/21