Lasagne - Barefoot Contessa's Recipe

By Taraespo

The recipe calls for turkey Italian sausage but we make our own homemade pork Italian sausage that is on the spicy side! I also adjusted some of the other ingredients to suit our taste.

Ingredients

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 c chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 (1 pound) lasagna noodles
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese
• 3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 pound frozen chopped spinach
• 1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, basil, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.

Cook the spinach and then drain thoroughly and squeeze out all moisture with towels. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, spinach, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Ladle a little of the sauce into a 9 by 12 rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add 3 layers as follows: pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and sauce. Finish with sauce. (You might not use all of the noodles) Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until the top is bubbling. Let stand about 5-10 minutes before serving.