Sausage Lasagna

With a little weekend prep, this is a hearty satisfying dish makes a great weeknight meal.

What You’ll Need to Make Sausage Lasagna

This recipe takes a couple of shortcuts yet doesn’t fall short on flavor. First, use uncooked noodles and second, use ready made pasta sauce.

Assemble lasagna with uncooked boxed noodles. While the noodles are stiff, they are easier to work with than wet, slippery, hot noodles. What helps ensure the noodles cook all the way through is the sauce. The simmering sauce helps soak into the noodles, cooking them while they are in the oven.  Also preferably, assemble the lasagna, pop it the refrigerator and usually bake it the next day or so when all the flavors have had a chance to mix. I have also made this the same day with good results.

The second is the sauce. Use ready made pasta sauce. I normally use it just the way it is but feel free to taste it and season it as if you like with a little salt, sugar, pepper and/or Italian herbs.

How to Make Sausage Lasagna

Start by browning the sausage. You will do this in two batches (or more depending on the size of your pan). Divide the sausage meat. Pinch off pieces of sausage about ¼ to ½ inch in size and place them on a cold pan. I find this method easier than trying to chop the sausage with a knife or trying to break it up in the pan.

Heat the pan on medium heat. Allow the sausage to brown stirring from time to time.  About 10 minutes. When done, remove to a plate lined with paper towels.

Repeat for all remaining batches of sausage. 

In a large measuring bowl, beat the egg. Add all the ricotta cheese plus a quarter cup of parmesan cheese.

Pour one cup of spaghetti sauce into a measuring cup. Add about ½ cup of hot water. Mix. Keep hot and set aside.

Heat a large pan on medium heat. Add one tablespoon of oil. When heated, add the onions. Sauté and then add the garlic. Next add the cooked sausage and the rest of the spaghetti sauce. Stir and allow the mix to bubble. Lower the temperature so that the mixture simmers.In a large 13×19 baking dish, pour the hot diluted sauce on to the bottom of the dish. Place noodles side-by-side on top to completely cover the sauce. You may need to break some of the noodles to achieve this.Then put about ½ of the ricotta cheese mixture on top of the noodles. Put about ½ of the sauce making sure that the sausage is equally well arranged over the noodles. Top with half the mozzarella cheese. Then place the noodles and repeat with the ricotta, sauce and finish with a combination of mozzarella and parmesan. Make sure the top is completely covered. You should not see any of the sauce.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove from the fridge.

Position a rack on the middle shelf of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F and allow the lasagna to come to room temperature as the oven is preheating. Once the oven is hot, place the lasagna in the middle and bake uncovered for 30 minutes until the edges start to turn a light brown.

Remove the lasagna from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes.

Serve hot. Garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Note: Freezing lasagna leftovers works very well. To do so, cut the lasagna into serving portion sizes and freeze. Make sure that the slices are separated so that they do not get stuck together when they freeze. Use wax or parchment paper for this, or you can also wrap each piece individually in plastic wrap. To use, move slices from freezer to the fridge and thaw overnight. Then reheat in a toaster oven. You can use a microwave as well, but do so one slice at a time. Be sure to use a cover as the lasagna will splatter. Wipe the splatter off the plate before serving.