Add the chopped onions and garlic now. Stir them into the hot meat. Cook until the onions look clear and soft. This takes about five minutes usually.

Pour in the tomato purée and spices. Let the sauce simmer on low heat. This blends all the flavors together well. Let it cook for fifteen minutes.

Mix the ricotta and egg in a bowl. Add the parsley and half the parmesan. Stir until the mixture is very smooth. This is your creamy middle layer.

Spread some meat sauce in the baking dish. Place three dry noodles on top. Add more sauce and then the cheese. Repeat these layers three more times.

Cover the dish with the aluminum foil. Place it in a hot oven. Bake it at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. The noodles will cook in the sauce.

Take off the foil after 45 minutes. Sprinkle more mozzarella on the very top. Bake for fifteen more minutes until bubbly. Let it cool before you cut it.