For Sauce
1 Pound Mild Italian Sausage
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Onion, Diced
5 Cloves Garlic, Minced
3/4 Cup Red Wine
3 Cans Crushed Tomatoes (28 ounces each)
3 teaspoons Dried Basil
2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
3/4 teaspoon Ground Fennel
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
2 1/2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
For LasagnaDouble Batch
Fresh Basil Pasta2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 Cups Ricotta Cheese
1 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Add sausage to a large pot. Cook over medium heat until thoroughly browned. Remove sausage to a separate bowl and drain sausage drippings, leaving about 1 Tablespoon drippings in the pan. Add the olive oil and onion and saute until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook and stir for about 1 minute.
Pour in red wine and cook and stir until liquid has almost completely evaporated. Add remaining sauce ingredients and stir to combine. Add sausage back in to sauce and simmer over low heat for at least 1 hour, up to 3 hours.
Make and roll pasta to desired thickness. On a pasta machine with 7 thickness settings, #3 is usually a good thickness. You can use the pasta sheets just as they come out of the roller, just cut them to fit in the pan.
In a 9x13 baking dish, add a thin layer of the sauce. Add a layer of the pasta. Spread a thin layer of ricotta directly on noodles then spread a layer of sauce. Top with 1/3 of the mozarella and 1/3 Cup parmesan. Add about 1/4 cup water at this point. Repeat layers twice: pasta, ricotta, sauce, mozarella and parmesan. You probably won't need to use all the sauce - just save leftover sauce for serving along with the lasagna.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, until hot and bubbly. Remove foil and continue baking for another 15 - 20 minutes.