Italian Sausage Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 3 teaspoons dried basil
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 carton (15 ounces) whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1-1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 12 no-cook lasagna noodles
• 4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Cook the sausage
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Crumble the sausage into a large skillet. Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat for five to seven minutes, until the sausage is browned and no pink remains. Drain grease from the skillet. Editor's Tip: Don't put the grease down your kitchen sink. Use a grease draining tool, spoon or small ladle to transfer the grease from the skillet to a paper towel-lined plate or an empty can, and then dispose of it.
3. Prepare the sauce
4. Stir the minced garlic and tomato paste into the skillet with the sausage and onion. Cook for one minute. Then, stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and salt. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Editor's Tip: If your sauce tastes too tangy after simmering, add 1 teaspoon of sugar to balance the acid in the tomatoes.
5. Mix the ricotta layer
6. Combine the egg, ricotta cheese, 1-1/4 cups Parmesan cheese and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Mix until well blended.
7. Layer the lasagna
8. Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Spread 1-1/2 cups meat sauce into the bottom of the dish. Top with four lasagna noodles, followed by 1-1/2 cups each of the ricotta mixture, shredded mozzarella and meat sauce. Repeat the layers once. Top with the remaining noodles, sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Editor's Tip: If you're assembling the lasagna ahead of time, cover it tightly with foil and refrigerate it until you're ready to bake.
9. Bake the lasagna
10. Cover the baking dish with greased foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and continue baking until lightly browned and bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.