- 6
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked lasagna noodles
- 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed, crumbled
- One 26-ounce jar pasta sauce
- One 15-ounce container ricotta cheese (1-1/2 cups)
- 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large eggplant (about 1-1/2 pounds) trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil, for garnish
Preparation
Step 1
Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente about 8 minutes; drain well. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Drizzle the noodles with oil and cover with paper towels.
Heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil in a large skillet. Add the sausage and brown, breaking it up with a fork, until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain the excess grease from the skillet. Pour the sauce into the skillet and heat through, scraping up the brown bits of sausage still sticking to the pan. Stir the sausage back into the sauce.
Preheat the broiler with the rack 6 inches from the heat source. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta with 1 cup of the Parmesan. Coat the eggplant slices with the remaining 7 Tbsp. of the oil and arrange them in a singly layer on a baking sheet; season with the salt and pepper. Broil the slices until tender and golden, turning them once, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. In a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish, layer one third of the sauce, half of the noodles, half of the eggplant slices, half of the ricotta mixture and half of the mozzarella slices. Repeat, ending with a final layer of pasta sauce. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Bake until golden and bubbling, about 40 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil before serving.