I love lasagna, whether it is your typical Italian-American affair or something a little more experimental. This version is one of my favorites – the fresh ingredients give it a lighter, more delicate quality that you would not normally expect with lasagna. Of course, you can switch out the herbs and cheese for the dried or shredded variety, but the taste will be lost in translation.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup chopped yellow or white onion (1 small)
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- ½ pound lasagna noodles (oven ready)
- 1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, plus additional for sprinkling
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Step one:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until translucent over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.
Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork until no longer pink.
Step two:
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tbs of the parsley, all of the basil, 1 ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, until thickened.
Step three:
In a large bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup parmesan, and the remaining parsley, ½ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp pepper.
Step four: The Layering!
Spoon 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 x 13 pan and spread it over the bottom. Add ½ of the noodles, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta mixture and 1/3 of the sauce.
Next – add the rest of the noodles, mozzarella, ricotta and finally the sauce. Top with bout ¼ of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes until the sauce is bubbling.
Notes:
I like to press the garlic clove with the flat end of my knife, then cut and mince.
The herbs can be chopped with a knife or cut/ribboned with kitchen scissors.
Cheap Wine & Good Food 