Italian Sausage Lasagne
Ingredients:
- Italian Sausage, cooked and all fat drained
- 1 package no boil lasagne noodles
- 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes with added puree
- 1 14 1/2oz can diced tomatoes, with juices
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tsp dried Oregano
- 1/4-1 tsp red pepper flakes, however much you like
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 15oz container plus 1 cup of ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups of fresh basil, packed and stems removed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan, plus 1 cup more for sprinkling on the layers
- 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, plus 3 cups more for sprinkling on the layers
Preheat the oven to 350f.
The meat/tomato mixture: cook the bulk sausage and break up any large bits. Drain off any fat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the Oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir. Add in the crushed tomatoes and the diced tomatoes, with juices. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes, turn off the heat and set aside.
To make the ricotta mixture: In a food processor, pulse the basil leaves until they are cut up. Add the ricotta, egg, parmesan cheese and the mozzarella cheese. Pulse until everything is well combined. Set aside.
To assemble: Grab your deep baking dish and spray with cooking spray. Spoon in about a cup of sauce to mostly cover the bottom. Put 3 no boil pasta sheets across the sauce, then spread the ricotta mixture to create a thin layer all over the pasta. Sprinkle over parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, then cover in sauce. Begin again with the pasta sheets, ricotta mixture and cheeses, then sauce. Do this a couple of more times creating layers. End with pasta sheets and sauce over them. Sprinkle on any remaining parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
Cover the lasagne with non-stick foil and place the pan of lasagne on a rimmed baking sheet covered in foil. Bake for 45 minutes and then uncover for the remaining 15 minutes. Let the lasagne sit for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with a salad or roasted vegetables.