Recipe - Three-Cheese Lasagna With Italian Sausage

SAUCE
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 cup Chopped onion
Three fourths cup Finely chopped peeled
carrots
2 tablespoon Minced garlic
8 ounce Lean ground beef
6 ounce Spicy Italian sausages;
casings removed
1 cn (28oz) crushed tomatoes
with added puree
One fourth cup Tomato paste
One fourth cup Chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon Golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dried oregano
1 Bay leaf
One half teaspoon Dried crushed red pepper

LASAGNA
15 Lasagna noodles; (about 12
ounces)
2 Containers; (15oz)
partskim ricotta cheese
1 cup Grated Parmesan cheese;
(about 3 ounces)
1 pack (10oz) frozen chopped
spinach; thawed, drained,
squeezed dry
2 lg Eggs
4 Three fourths cup Grated mozzarella cheese;
(about 1 One fourth pounds)

FOR SAUCE: Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion,
carrots and garlic; sauté until softened, about 12 minutes. Add beef and
sausages to pan; sauté until cooked through, breaking up meat with back of
spoon, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer until
flavors blend and sauce measures about 5 cups, stirring occasionally, about
15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Cool.

FOR LASAGNA: Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook noodles in large pot of boiling
salted water until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Drain; cover with cold
water.

Combine ricotta and Three fourths cup Parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Mix in spinach.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs.

Drain pasta and pat dry. Spread One half cup sauce over bottom of 13x9inch
glass baking dish. Place 5 noodles over sauce, overlapping to fit. Spread
half of ricottaspinach mixture evenly over noodles. Sprinkle 2 cups
mozzarella cheese evenly over ricottaspinach mixture. Spoon 1 One half cups
sauce over cheese, spreading with spatula to cover (sauce will be thick).
Repeat layering with 5 noodles, remaining ricottaspinach mixture, 2 cups
mozzarella and 1 One half cups sauce. Arrange remaining 5 noodles over sauce.
Spread remaining sauce over noodles. Sprinkle remaining Three fourths cup mozzarella
cheese and One fourth cup Parmesan cheese evenly over lasagna. (Can be prepared up
to 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.) Cover
baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake lasagna 40 minutes; uncover and bake
until hot and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before
serving.

8 servings.

Bon Appétit

Posted to recipeludigest by Sandy sandysno@pctech.net on Feb 27, 1998