Three-Cheese Lasagna with Italian Sausage

By marianneshiwarski

Ingredients

• SAUCE
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup chopped Onion
• 3/4 cup finely Chopped peeled Carrots
• 2 tablespoons minced Garlic
• 8 ounces lean Ground Beef
• 8 ounces Sweet or hot sausages, casings removed
• 1 28-ounce can Crushed Tomatoes with added puree
• 1/4 cup Tomato Paste
• 1/4 cup Fresh Basil
• 1 tablespoon golden Brown Sugar
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed Red Pepper
• LASAGNA
• 12 Lasagna Noodles - Oven Ready
• 2 15-ounce containers part-skim Ricotta Cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, squeezed dry
• 2 large Eggs
• 4 3/4 cups grated Mozzarella Cheese (about 1 1/4 pounds)

Preparation

Step 1

FOR SAUCE: Heat oil in heavy large sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and garlic; saute until softened, about 12 minutes. Add beef and sausages to pan; saute until cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer until flavors blend and sauce measures about 5 cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Cool.

FOR LASAGNA: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, Combine ricotta and 3/4 Parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Mix in spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs.

Spread 1/2 cup sauce over bottom of 13x9 inch glass baking dish. Place 3 oven ready noodles over sauce, do not overlap or touch noodles they will expand when cooked. Spread 1/2 of ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles.
Sprinkle 2 cups mozzarella cheese evenly over ricotta-spinach mixture. Spoon 1 1/2 cups sauce over cheese, spreading with a spatula to cover (sauce will be thick). Repeat layering with 3 noodles remaining ricotta-spinach mixture, 2 cups mozzarella and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Arrange 3 noodles over sauce. Spread remaining sauce over noodles. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese evenly over lasagna. (Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.) Cover baking dish with aluminum foil Bake lasagna 40 minutes; uncover and bake until hot and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving.