Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Lasagna Time!

WOW!  It has been quite a while...for 2 1/2 weeks I had no computer (or no computer with a working keyboard) and after harassing some lady in the mall I am back up and running!  I have been relying on my iPhone and now I can finally send a tasty update!  I had lasagna at a friend's house the end of October and then another brought it to work a few weeks later.  It was one of those things where you see something and you HAVE to make it or else you will never quit thinking about it!!  Frank was away about a month ago for a few nights and I decided to make him a sausage lasagna to welcome him home!  I literally went off the top of my head and bought all of the ingredients on a whim that afternoon.  This could serve 6 hungry adults or make 8 smaller servings.  It also freezes well!  ; - )     Here goes:

1 lb Italian Sausage
1 onion, diced
2 cans (28 oz each) of diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Italian parlsey
8 oz whole milk ricotta
3-4 cups of mozzarella cheese
grated Parmesan cheese (about a cup)
1 box of Barilla "no bake" lasagna noodles

Preheat the oven at 375.  Brown the sausage in a pan and then drain.  Saute the onion for about 5 minutes on medium and then add the garlic for a minute.  Add the bay leaf and both cans of tomatoes.  Bring the sauce to a boil and then turn it down to simmer.  Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, and then add sausage into the tomato sauce at the end.  While the sauce is simmering finely chop the parsley and mix it with the ricotta cheese.  In a 9 x 13 pan spoon 2 ladles of the tomato sauce into the bottom.  Cover the sauce with a layer of noodles and then spoon 2-3 more ladles of sauce on top.  Sprinkle with parm, mozzarella, and a few dollops of ricotta.  Repeat this process layer by layer until you reach the top of the pan.  (For me that was 3-4 layers).  Be sure to finish the lasagna with the sausage/tomato sauce.  Bake for 50 minutes and then top with some more mozzarella cheese. Bake 10 more minutes or until brown and bubbly.  Let the lasagna stand for about 10 minutes before serving.