As for the cheese mixture, only the best and (yep!) more expensive cheeses should be used here. That canned stuff is just that---stuff!

This dish needs only a big salad, a loaf of crusty bread, and a bottle of good wine---oh, well, good company to enjoy it with, of course!
Serving Size : 8

CHEESE MIXTURE:
3/4 pound fresh Parmiagiana-Reggiano cheese
1/2 pound fresh Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 pound smoked Provolone cheese *
SAUCE:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion -- finely chopped
3 cloves garlic -- minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 pound lean ground beef or Italian sausage
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1 bay leaf
1 can tomato paste (6 oz.)
2 cans Italian tomatoes with juice (28 oz.ea.) -- crushed by hand
3 tablespoons grated Italian cheese mixture (above)
FILLING:
2 pounds whole milk ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 tbs. dried
1 cup grated Italian cheese mixture (above)
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Lasagna noodles (oven-ready preferred) *
1 pound shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Italian cheese mixture (above)

CHEESE MIXTURE:
Cut cheeses into chunks and place into a food processor. Process until finely grated. Put into a sealable container and keep chilled untl ready to use.
* If smoked Provolone is not available, add more of either Parmiagiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano.

SAUCE:
Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, garlic; sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let garlic brown. Add the beef or sausage and cook until no longer pink, breaking up large pieces with a wooden spoon. Drain off excess oil and fat. Season mixture with oregano, basil and bay leaf. Add the tomato paste and tomatoes with their juice. Mix well and bring just to a simmer. Let simmer until flavors blend and sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Stir in the 3 tablespoons of the cheese misture and remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. ( Sauce is ready for lasagna to be made (sauce should not be too soupy--otherwise your lasagna will be runny and fall apart).

* If not using oven-ready lasagna noodles, cook noodles in boiling salted water 2-3 minutes less time than instructed on package. Do not add oil to pasta water. Drain thoroughly. Do not rinse pasta. Separate noodles so they don't stick together (one way is to drape them over the edge of a large mixing bowl).

FILLING:
In a large bowl combine the ricotta, eggs. parsley, cheese mixture, salt and pepper to taste. Mix until well blended and set aside. This should be made just before ready to assemble the dish.

ASSEMBLE:
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray a 13x9x2 baking pan or dish with cooking spray.

Spoon and spread about 1/3 cup sauce evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking pan (sauce should very thinly cover bottom, not necessarily completely). Lay lasagna noodles over the sauce in a single layer, making sure they do not quite touch each other (oven-ready noodles will expand slightly during baking). Spread about 2/3 cups of sauce over noodles evenly. Drop about 6 heaping tablespoonfuls of ricotta filling onto sauce and gently spread with back of spoon or a spatula. Sprinkle about 1/3 of shredded Mozzarella cheese over the ricotta mixture.

Repeat the process to make 2 more layers in the same manner. You should end with a layer of noodles, and spread remaining sauce evenly over top of the noodles, making sure noodles are completely covered.

Sprinkle the top liberally with the 1 cup of the cheese mixture and the remaining mozzarella.

Cover the pan tightly with foil, tenting slightly to prevent it from touching top cheese layer. Bake in middle of the oven for 45 minutes (it's best to place a baking sheet on the oven rack below the lasagna to catch any bubbling over).

Remove foil and bake 12-15 minutes more, or until top is bubbling and golden. Let stand about 10-15 minutes before serving..