Sausage Lasagna

(from 226-2tone’s recipe box)

Serves 6 to 8

Why this recipe works:
Following the success of our Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna, we decided to create a hearty sausage version. Boosting the flavors of the ricotta filling with a hefty amount of Parmesan and some fragrant basil certainly helped our cause, as did boldly flavored Italian sausage. To keep things simple, we found spooning dollops of ricotta over the noodles—instead of spreading it—and pinching off pieces of raw sausage helped to streamline assembly. As for the sauce, the test kitchen’s favorite jarred sauce (Bertolli Tomato and Basil Sauce) worked perfectly.

Source: America's Test Kitchen February 19, 2011: Tastes in the Brain (from RecipeThing user Bethany)

Categories: Pasta

Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil spray
  • 8 curly-edged lasagna noodles
  • 1 3/4 cups ricotta cheese (15 ounces)
  • 1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup minced fresh basil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 (24-ounce) jar tomato sauce
  • 1 pound Italian sausage , removed from its casing
  • 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (1 pound)
  • Salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Line slow cooker with aluminum foil collar, then line with foil sling and coat with vegetable oil spray (see page 225). Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add broken lasagna noodles and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain noodles, rinse under cold water until cool, then spread out in single layer over clean kitchen towels and let dry. (Do not use paper towels; they will stick to noodles.)

  2. In bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, basil, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce into prepared slow cooker

  3. Arrange 4 lasagna noodle pieces in slow cooker (they may overlap), then dollop 9 rounded tablespoons of ricotta mixture over noodles. Pinch off one- third of sausage into tablespoon-sized pieces and drop over ricotta. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella, then spoon 1/2 cup sauce over top. Repeat layering of lasagna noodles, ricotta mixture, mozzarella, and sauce twice more.

  4. For final layer, arrange remaining 4 noodles in slow cooker, then top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and remaining Parmesan. Cover and cook until lasagna is heated through, about 4 hours on low.

  5. Let lasagna cool for 20 minutes. Using sling, transfer lasagna to serving platter and serve.

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