For the Love of Lasagna

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It dawned on me recently, I have made dozens of pasta dishes but never ventured to try a simple and delicious layered heaven that is Sausage Lasagna! I’m just as shocked as you are, it’s really a shame. But fear not, I come to you with a simple and delicious recipe that will satisfy the lasagna lover in all of us. I have tried many versions but I love adding some spicy sausage. It provides a special kick to this Italian classic. You can always substitute beef or go meatless of course but I am a fan of the spice!

There was a little obstacle when compiling all my ingredients. The recipe calls for no-cook lasagna noodles. This sounded awesome because who really wants to boil the noodles before getting started. I decided to go to my local Giant store which has a smaller selection than my favorite Wegmans. I looked high and low and wasn’t able to find them initially. After going back to the pasta aisle one last time I came across some ‘oven ready’ Barilla ones. I had to be sure this was what the recipe called for because I didn’t want hard uncooked noodles in my masterpiece but they turned out to be exactly what I was looking for! I love a good grocery store win!

Being aware of your sauce and cheese ratios when layering is important. I found that I would get heavy handed with the cheese and then try to compensate with more sauce. Next time I make this meal I will be a little better about evenly dispersing both fillings. For the longest time, I shied away from making my own lasagna because Stoffer’s has been killing the game for years. Nowadays, I think I may have them beat!

Easy and Delicious Sausage Lasagna

What You Need:

1 pound bulk Italian sausage, hot
1 medium red or white onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
3 teaspoons dried basil
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 carton (15 ounces) whole-milk ricotta cheese
1-1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
12 no-cook lasagna noodles
4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
Click here to Cook With Me!

Preheat oven to 400°.
In a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage with onion over medium heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes; drain.
Add garlic and tomato paste; cook and stir 1 minute.
Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, 10-15 minutes.
In a bowl, mix egg, ricotta cheese, 1-1/4 cups Parmesan cheese and the remaining pepper. Spread 1-1/2 cups meat sauce into a greased 13×9-in. baking dish. Layer with 4 noodles, 1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese mixture, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1-1/2 cups sauce. Repeat layers. Top with the remaining noodles, sauce and mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
Cover with greased foil; bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake until lightly browned and heated through, 5-10 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!

Cook With Me:

Preheat oven to 400°.
In a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage with onion over medium heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes; drain.
Add garlic and tomato paste; cook and stir 1 minute.
Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, 10-15 minutes.
In a bowl, mix egg, ricotta cheese, 1-1/4 cups Parmesan cheese and the remaining pepper. Spread 1-1/2 cups meat sauce into a greased 13×9-in. baking dish. Layer with 4 noodles, 1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese mixture, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1-1/2 cups sauce. Repeat layers. Top with the remaining noodles, sauce and mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Cover with greased foil; bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake until lightly browned and heated through, 5-10 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!