Sauce
-
2 tablespoons olive oil
-
1 pound spicy Italian
sausages, casings removed
-
1 cup chopped onion
-
3 large garlic cloves,
chopped
-
2 teaspoons dried oregano
-
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed
red pepper
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1 28-ounce can crushed
tomatoes with added puree
-
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced
tomatoes with green pepper and onion (do not
drain)
Heat oil in heavy large pot
over medium-high heat. Add sausages, onion,
garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper and
sauté until sausage is cooked through,
mashing sausage into small pieces with back
of fork, about 10 minutes. Add crushed
tomatoes and diced tomatoes with juices.
Bring sauce to boil. Reduce heat to medium
and simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors.
Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day
ahead. Chill until cold, then cover and keep
chilled.)
Filling
-
11/2 cups (packed) fresh
basil leaves
-
1 15-ounce container plus 1 cup part-skim
ricotta cheese
-
1 1/2 cups (packed) grated mozzarella cheese
(about 6 ounces)
-
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2
ounces)
-
1 large egg
-
1/2 teaspoon salt
-
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Using on/off turns, chop fresh basil leaves
finely in processor. Add ricotta,
mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt
and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Using on/off turns,
process filling until just blended and
texture is still chunky.
Assembly
-
12 no-boil lasagna noodles from one 8-ounce
package
-
3 cups (packed) grated mozzarella cheese (about
12 ounces)
-
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
Preheat
oven to 375°F. Spread 1 1/4 cups sauce in 13 x 9
x 2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles on
sauce. Drop 1 1/2 cups filling over noodles,
then spread evenly to cover. Sprinkle with 3/4
cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan
cheese. Repeat layering of sauce, noodles,
filling and cheeses 2 more times. Top with
remaining 3 noodles. Spoon remaining sauce atop
noodles. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Spray
large piece of foil with nonstick olive oil
spray. Cover lasagna with foil, sprayed side
down.
Bake lasagna 40 minutes. Carefully uncover.
Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Bake until
noodles are tender, sauce bubbles thickly and
edges of lasagna are golden and puffed, about 20
minutes. Transfer to work surface; let stand 15
minutes before serving.
Makes 6 to 8 servings. |