~Amanda~
We recently started a Supper Club with two other couples and it’s something we look forward to every month now. Nothing is more exciting than getting together with great friends and enjoying some tasty home cooked meals. This month was mine and Conors turn to host; I had so many ideas going through my head of what to make, but I finally decided on this amazing lasagna. It was such a big hit and we ended up eating the whole pan! Cooking for 8 people is a pretty big task and I wanted to do something that was incredibly delicious, but I also wanted to do a lot of the work ahead of time so I could enjoy my time with our friends the night of the dinner. Lasagna is the perfect dish to do that with because you can, and should, make it a day ahead of time. When lasagna sits for a night in the fridge the flavors have time to meld together and it tastes even better the next day!
I have a favorite lasagna recipe that I’ve been making for many years now which is inspired by Ina Garten’s Lasagna with Turkey Sausage. Ina Garten is one of my all-time favorite chefs because everything she makes is inspiring and appetizing. Over time I have made a few changes to this recipe and I love it more and more each time. One of the biggest changes I made this time around, because I was feeling extremely ambitious, was to make my own homemade gluten-free lasagna noodles. I know, I’m crazy for doing this on a weeknight and I ended up in the kitchen for over 3 hours, but it was soooo worth it. I used my Gluten-Free Pasta Dough recipe and cut the pasta into lasagna size pieces. You can always use store bought pasta for this too and cook it until it’s just al dente.
After the pasta is complete, the next step is to make the different layers of the lasagna. First, the meaty sauce layer; you begin by cooking down an onion. I like to use a red onion, instead of yellow; I find the flavor of the yellow onion a little overpowering and prefer the more mild red onion in my lasagna so the other flavors shine. You then add in the sausage (the original recipe called for sweet Italian turkey sausage, but instead I like to use a spicy Italian pork sausage; I love the extra kick you get from the spicy seasonings as well as the rich flavor from the pork). Finally you add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and some fresh parsley and basil for seasoning and let the sauce cook down for about 20 minutes until it’s thick and delicious.
And now comes the best part; the CHEESE! The reason why this lasagna is so incredible is because you use four, yes four, different cheeses. You make a mixture of ricotta, goat cheese, and parmesan cheese with an egg and parsley in it as one of the layers. And then use mozzarella as a whole other layer. YUM! Once you have your pasta and all the different components for the lasagna prepared, then you can assemble it. Bake the lasagna for 30 minutes the day you make it and then cover and store in the fridge overnight. When you’re ready to eat the next day, cover with foil and heat up at the same temperature until it’s warmed through (about 30-45 minutes). Top with some more mozzarella and broil until it’s melted and bubbly and you’re ready to enjoy some of the best lasagna you’ll ever have (see satisfied supper clubbers below)!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 pounds spicy Italian pork sausage
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided in half
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- salt
- ground black pepper
- 1/2 pound lasagna noodles
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup grated parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup grated mozzarella (plus 1/2 cup for the top)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink (breaking it up using a wooden spoon). Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, half the parsley, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.
- Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles in boiling water until just al dente. No longer. You want them to be slightly firm.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
- Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9x13" baking dish, and spread over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one third of the sauce, then the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling. Then top with another layer of mozzarella and broil until brown and bubbly (about 2-3 minutes).
- *If you're going to make this a day ahead of time, let the lasagna cool, cover, and place in the refrigerator overnight. The following day when you're ready to eat cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees until warmed through (about 30-45 minutes). Remove cover, sprinkle with some extra cheese and broil until bubbly. Enjoy!
