Lisa's Awesome Lasagna (That's Right..Awesome)
Ingredients
(This lasagna IS pretty awesome...it landed me a spot in the running to get on a cooking show, and I got pretty far into the pro
Sauce
1 package ground Italian Sausage (sweet or spicy, your choice)
1 cup chopped sweet yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon pepper
29 oz can tomato sauce
12 oz can tomato paste
1 red bell pepper, chopped well (small pieces)
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon Basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (ground works, but fresh= better)
1 teaspoon ground red pepper flakes (optional)
5 cups of grated mozzarella (your preference)- OR- 3 or 4 balls of fresh mozzarella fro
2 cups of grated parmesan cheese, fresh or bagged in your cheese section (not the dry p
1 32 oz tub of Ricotta cheese (not skim...no point skimping on lasagna)
Noodles
1 package uncooked lasagna noodles, fresh is better, but dried is just fine
Preparation
1
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2
Prepare your lasagna pan by buttering the inside - you can use non-stick spray if you like.
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If your skillet is large enough, add the remaining ingredients for the sauce - if it’s not, transfer to a large pot and go from there.
7
If it seems a little thick, add a half cup of water - some paste is just thicker than others. You want a little fluidity to your sauce.
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9
10
Take enough sauce to just barely cover the bottom of your lasagna pan.
11
Place enough lasagna noodles on top of sauce to cover sauce, noodles barely overlapping at edges.
12
Pour enough sauce over the noodles to cover again....this time more generously.
13
Take your ricotta cheese, and mix the nutmeg into it before you continue.
14
Then dollop the ricotta cheese mixture onto the first layer in table spoon sized drops an inch or so apart, here and there so that it’s a pretty even pattern over the sauce, using about half.
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Spread the grated mozzerella cheese over the top of that, using just less than half, covering the sauce.
16
If you are using fresh mozzarella, layer the slices generously over the sauce and ricotta, using about half)
17
Sprinkle a little parmesan over that, about ⅓ of it.
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Then, place another layer of lasagna noodles over the sauce and cheese layers.
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Cover generously with sauce again, using all but about the same portion you used on bottom of the pan.
20
Repeat cheese layering, but use remainder of ricotta, and all but a handful or 2 of the mozerella and parmesan - save that for last.
21
For your final layer, do the noodle layer again...
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But for this last layer, I take a little less sauce, though enough to cover the noodles (very important).
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Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.
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After 45 minutes, remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes.
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Then EAT IT!
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NOTE: When using the uncooked noodles, it’s important to have that first and last layer of liquid - in this case, the sauce - to make sure that the noodles are hydrated and soften well.
28
You are more than welcome to cook the noodles first, but they’re a pain to deal with, they always stick together and/or tear, and there’s really no point - the sauce will cook them for you.
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Yield:
4
Added:
Tuesday, May 3, 2011 - 3:18pm