I don't know if there is a more perfect food than lasagne. It packs all the nutritious food groups into a nice little package of cheesy, meaty goodness that fills the heart as much as the belly. There are as many ways to make this delicacy as there are shapes of pasta (google that if you have a chance - it will blow your mind), but this recipe is a classic Italian-American version based on the one I grew up eating. Quick, easy and super satisfying, this recipe will make you happy. It's the perfect meal to celebrate St. Joseph on his feast day, a very important day for Italians world-wide. It't like St. Patrick's day for Italians, with less beer and more wine; less cabbage and more pasta. All around a really good day.
If you have a whole day to dedicate to the art of lasagne, then you should instead try a transcendent Lasagne Bolognese with fresh sheets of pasta and a slow simmered meat sauce. My friend Gina makes one that will make you say a prayer of thanksgiving while your eyes roll back in their sockets. It really is that good. Maybe I can get her to share that on the blog one day. This one is tasty, though, and makes use of ingredients you likely already have. Its also no-frills - you don't even have to boil the noodles! I'm also including a recipe for supply-stretching creamy Italian salad dressing you can put on your salad tonight to pair with the lasagne. Buon appetito!
Italian Sausage Lasagne (serves 12)
Ingredients:
12 uncooked lasagne noodles
1 lb whole milk ricotta cheese (I used Bel Gioioso - it is so creamy and good)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried parsley or 1 tbsp fresh chopped
1 lb bag shredded mozzarella (or shred your own, but this recipe is no fuss)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 large jar pasta sauce (we like Rao's marinara - tastes homemade)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb sweet (mild) Italian sausage (I used turkey sausage)
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
Method:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix ricotta with beaten egg and parsley. Set aside. Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Remove sausage from casing (literally just squeeze it out - the kids would love to do this), break up with a spoon, and brown. Try to get the sausage into as little crumbles as possible. When the meat is lightly browned, add onions. Cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add wine and deglaze pan. When all the wine is gone, add tomato sauce. Add a little water to the jar to loosen what remains. Shake it up then pour into the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cover and keep warm.
In a 9x13 pan, begin layering. Coat the bottom of the pan lightly with sauce. Add three dry noodles. Top with more sauce, then ricotta mixture, then mozzarella, then a sprinkle of parmesan. It is super important to not leave any noodle uncovered, as the moisture from the cheese and sauce will cook them. Make three more layers in the same way - pasta, sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan. I always add a little extra parmesan to the top layer.
Now, here's the important part. Cover the whole dish tightly with foil. You want to create steam inside so be sure it is covered tightly, Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 uncovered to brown the top. Let it rest a few minutes before you cut to ensure your layers stay together.
A little extra recipe today. If you grew up in the 70s and 80s, you likely recognize the cruet on the left. That is the Good Seasons salad dressing bottle that held the dressing we ate almost every night of my childhood - Italian dressing made with vegetable oil, and either red wine or apple cider vinegar - and they still make it today. It is magic salad dressing. Kids who won't eat salad will eat it. And, it is shelf stable in little packets, so it takes up less pantry space and lasts forever.
We still eat this, most nights, on our salads. When it gets down to the bottom of the bottle, my kids get what is their most FAVORITE dressing of all time - creamy Italian parmesan. You can also make this recipe with any Italian vinaigrette dressing you might have in the fridge. It is super flexible and always good, and stretches your dressing for another day without having to make a new batch.
Creamy Italian Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Italian dressing
2 tbsp mayonnaise (we like Best foods/Hellman's or Blue Plate)
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
fresh ground black pepper
Method:
Whisk dressing, mayo and cheese in a bowl. Add black pepper to taste and whisk until combined. Serve over green salad, as a sandwich spread, with sliced tomatoes and onions, as a dip for carrots, the possibilities are endless.
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