Italian Sausage Lasagna with Roasted Garlic

This is an excellent recipe that uses roasted garlic with Italian sweet sausage, but hot sausage can be substituted as well.

Sometimes I use a combination of the two.

Occasionally, I use half sausage and half ground chuck or ground sirloin in the recipe for a slightly different enjoyable flavor.

Bon Appetito!

• Sanitized Counter Top
• Lasrge Cooking Pot for Sauce
• Lasagna Pan
• Clean Cutting Board
• Clean, Sharp, Knives
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Aluminum Foil
• Olive Oil in Spray Form

TOMATO-GARLIC SAUCE

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil [EVOO]

1 pound sweet or hot (or a combination) Italian sausages with the casings removed

1 cup coarsely chopped onion

5 large garlic cloves, roasted and chopped coarse

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon coarsely black pepper

Salt to taste

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (can be italian style with species)

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with green pepper and onion (with jalepeno if you like extra-spicy)

Heat the EVOO in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Caramelize the onions. Next, add the sausage and spices. Saute the mixture until sausage is cooked through, breaking the sausage into smaller pieces. Add crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes with all their juices. Bring to a hard bil and reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, stire, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, covered. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

LASAGNA FILLING

2 cups fresh basil leaves

3 cups Ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Chop the fresh basil moderately fine and place in a mixing bowl. Add Ricotta, Mozzarella, Parmesan, eggs, salt and pepper. Mix until it is well-blended and still chunky. Do not over mix.

INTO THE PAN

12 no-boil lasagna noodles (or boilable if that is what you have - just boil and drain)

3 cups grated Mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 375°F if you are using a GLASS PAN. A metal pan will need a higher heat by 25 - 50 degrees.

Spread 1 1/4 cups sauce in 13x9x2-inch glass baking pan. Place 3 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce.

Drop 1 1/2 cups filling over the noodles, then spread evenly. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Repeat layers of the sauce, noodles, filling and cheeses twice more.

Top with remaining 3 noodles and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Spray large piece of foil with nonstick olive oil spray and cover the lasagna with the foil, sprayed side down.

Bake the lasagna 40 minutes.

Carefully uncover and increase oven temperature to 400°F and bake until the noodles are tender and sauce bubbles, or about 20-25 minutes.

Remove form oven and place on counter atop a towel to cool. Let stand 15 minutes and serve.