Recipe to follow. By "real pasta" I mean not walmart brand lasagna noodles. An actual brand name pasta. I find walmart pasta to be dry, or mushy and grainy, no matter what you do. By put it together I mean, put assemble the lasagna, let it sit in the fridge tonight and then bake it tomorrow.
Here's the recipe:
[FONT="]2 pounds lasagna sheets [/FONT]
[FONT="][FONT="]2 cups hand cut 1/8-inch slices pepperoni [/FONT]
[FONT="]4 cups tomato sauce, recipe follows [/FONT]
[FONT="]1 pound ricotta [/FONT]
[FONT="]16 ounces shredded mozzarella [/FONT]
[FONT="]2 pounds bulk Italian sausage, cooked [/FONT]
[FONT="]3/4 cup grated Parmesan[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT="]Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Boil 6 quarts of water, add pinch of salt, and cook pasta to almost done. Remove from water and shock in ice bath. [/FONT]
[FONT="]In medium saucepan add pepperoni and sauté over medium heat until crispy. Remove from heat and drain on a paper towel. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Tomato Sauce: [/FONT]
[FONT="][FONT="]3 ounces extra-virgin olive oil [/FONT]
[FONT="]1 yellow onion, minced [/FONT]
[FONT="]5 medium-sized garlic cloves, crushed [/FONT]
[FONT="]6 cups skinned and diced Roma tomatoes [/FONT]
[FONT="]2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves [/FONT]
[FONT="]1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves [/FONT]
[FONT="]Salt and freshly ground black pepper [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT="]In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil. Add onion and cook over medium to low heat until transparent. Add garlic and cook until almost brown. Then add tomatoes and cook for 1/2 hour over low to medium heat. Add the basil and oregano and continue to cook for another 1/2 hour. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, cool and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. [/FONT]
[FONT="]In a 10-by-14-by-3-inch baking pan or dish, pour 1 cup of tomato sauce in bottom and around sides. Layer lasagna sheets on the bottom of the pan, overlapping by 1/2-inch. Add 1/3 amount of ricotta, 1/3 amount of mozzarella, 1/3 amount of sausage, then sprinkle generously with the Parmesan, add 1/2 cup tomato sauce, and 1/4 cup of pepperoni. Repeat this 2 more times. [/FONT]
[FONT="]On the very top sheet, top with remaining ricotta, tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, and dust with Parmesan. Bake for approximately 45 minutes. Remove from oven; let sit for 15 minutes. Cut and serve immediately. [/FONT]