This recipe was passed down to me from my mother. A good Italian friend gave it to her and it has been in her family for years. I have updated it and made it easier to make. Lets face it Lasagna is a time consuming dish, but I have some tricks that will make this dish a breeze to make. I make a very large pan, because this freezes so well.
Oven: 350 degrees
Bake: 45-60 minutes
Remove foil the last 15-20 minutes to brown cheese on top
Cool completely before slicing
If you are going to freeze
-Refrigerate it overnight and slice the next day
-Lay the slices out on a cookie sheet and freeze
-Once frozen, slip into bags, that way you will have each piece individually frozen.
Ingredients:
1 pound lean Italian bulk sausage, cooked and drained
1/2 chopped medium sized onion
2-3 large cloves of garlic minced about 4 teaspoons
(I cook the meat, onion and garlic the day before and put into the fridge, it saves a step on the day of preparation.)
Sauce
2 (12oz.) cans of crushed tomatoes or 1 large (29oz.) can
1 (12oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (15oz.) can tomato sauce
1 T. sugar
1 T. dried basil
1 T. dried parsley
2 tsp. dried oregano
Salt to taste
Ricotta Filling
1 (15oz) can Navy beans drained and rinsed
1 (15oz) container of Ricotta cheese
1 large egg
2 T. dried parsley
Cheese
1 pound grated Mozzarella cheese (get the block cheese and grate yourself)
Other cheeses can be used, or a mixture
1 Box whole grain lasagna noodles (Regular type)
Directions:
Sauce
In the crock pot add all the tomato products and herbs along with the cooked, meat and onion mixture. If you start this in the morning it will be ready by the afternoon to put the lasagna together. Heat until all the flavors are melded together. (This makes a lot of sauce.) If you don't use it all in the lasagna, you can use it as a sauce on top when you serve it. Extra sauce makes great spaghetti sauce for another meal.
Ricotta Filling
In your food processor put the blade on and add the drained and rinsed canned beans. Keep the food processor running until the bean mixture is smooth, it will take a few minutes. You may have to scrape down the sides of the bowl to get everything processed.
Stop the processor and add the container of Ricotta cheese. Put the lid back on and turn on the food processor. While the processor is running add the egg. At end add the parsley, then scrape the sides down to make sure everything is well blended and the mixture is smooth.
Assembly
1.Lay the UNCOOKED NOODLES in the bottom of the pan. My pan is 14 x 10 inches. I lay 3 noodles length wise in the pan and one at right angles at the bottom. This covers the bottom of the pan, use what ever layout will work for your pan as long as the bottom is covered.
2. About 1/3 of the sauce spread over the noodles
3. Dollop about 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on top of sauce and spread around. It does not have to be perfect.
4. Add mozzarella cheese next
5. Repeat layers ending with mozzarella cheese on top.
Hint:
-Cover with foil
-Place pan on a cookie sheet to bake in the oven in case it spills over
-Stick a knife into it to make sure the noodles are soft --- then it's done
Oven: 350 degrees
Bake: 45-60 minutes
Remove foil the last 15-20 minutes to brown cheese on top
Cool completely before slicing
If you are going to freeze
-Refrigerate it overnight and slice the next day
-Lay the slices out on a cookie sheet and freeze
-Once frozen, slip into bags, that way you will have each piece individually frozen.
Ingredients:
1 pound lean Italian bulk sausage, cooked and drained
1/2 chopped medium sized onion
2-3 large cloves of garlic minced about 4 teaspoons
(I cook the meat, onion and garlic the day before and put into the fridge, it saves a step on the day of preparation.)
Sauce
2 (12oz.) cans of crushed tomatoes or 1 large (29oz.) can
1 (12oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (15oz.) can tomato sauce
1 T. sugar
1 T. dried basil
1 T. dried parsley
2 tsp. dried oregano
Salt to taste
Ricotta Filling
1 (15oz) can Navy beans drained and rinsed
1 (15oz) container of Ricotta cheese
1 large egg
2 T. dried parsley
Cheese
1 pound grated Mozzarella cheese (get the block cheese and grate yourself)
Other cheeses can be used, or a mixture
1 Box whole grain lasagna noodles (Regular type)
Directions:
Sauce
In the crock pot add all the tomato products and herbs along with the cooked, meat and onion mixture. If you start this in the morning it will be ready by the afternoon to put the lasagna together. Heat until all the flavors are melded together. (This makes a lot of sauce.) If you don't use it all in the lasagna, you can use it as a sauce on top when you serve it. Extra sauce makes great spaghetti sauce for another meal.
Ricotta Filling
In your food processor put the blade on and add the drained and rinsed canned beans. Keep the food processor running until the bean mixture is smooth, it will take a few minutes. You may have to scrape down the sides of the bowl to get everything processed.
Stop the processor and add the container of Ricotta cheese. Put the lid back on and turn on the food processor. While the processor is running add the egg. At end add the parsley, then scrape the sides down to make sure everything is well blended and the mixture is smooth.
Assembly
1.Lay the UNCOOKED NOODLES in the bottom of the pan. My pan is 14 x 10 inches. I lay 3 noodles length wise in the pan and one at right angles at the bottom. This covers the bottom of the pan, use what ever layout will work for your pan as long as the bottom is covered.
2. About 1/3 of the sauce spread over the noodles
3. Dollop about 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on top of sauce and spread around. It does not have to be perfect.
4. Add mozzarella cheese next
5. Repeat layers ending with mozzarella cheese on top.
Hint:
-Cover with foil
-Place pan on a cookie sheet to bake in the oven in case it spills over
-Stick a knife into it to make sure the noodles are soft --- then it's done
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