- 2
Ingredients
- Sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
- Table salt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 oz Italian Sausage
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes, drained, 1/4 juice reserved
- 1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
- Ground black pepper
- Filling, Noodles, and Cheese:
- 4 oz whole-milk or part-skim ricotta cheese (about 1/2 cup)*
- 1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup), plus 2 tbsp
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/8 tsp table salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
- 4 no-boil lasagna noodles
- 4 oz whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
- * Do not substitute fat-free ricotta
Preparation
Step 1
1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. For the sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/8 tsp salt and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the Italian Sausage and cook, breaking the meat into small pieces and cooking until it is no longer pink, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the cream, bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Stir in the drained tomatoes, reserved juice, and tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook until the flavors are blended, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. For the Filling, Noodles, and Cheese:
Combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
5. Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan, avoiding large chunks of meat. Place 1 of the noodles on top of the sauce and spread one-third of the ricotta mixture over the noodle. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 cup of the mozzarella, and spoon 1/2 cup of the sauce evenly over the top.
6. Starting with a noodle, repeat the layering process twice more. Place the remaining noodle on top, cover with the remaining 1 cup sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella and remaining 2 tbsp Parmesan.
7. Cover the dish tightly with foil that has been sprayed with vegetable oil (or use nonstick foil). Bake until the sauce bubbles lightly around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until hot throughout and the cheese is browned in spots, about 10 minutes longer. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.