Italian Sausage Lasagna with Ricotta
The first time I made this I cut into it straight out of the oven. Big mistake. The ricotta slid out the sides, the ragu ran to the corners of the pan, and every slice looked like it had been dropped on the floor. Now it sits on the stove for a full 15 minutes before a knife goes anywhere near it, and the layers stand up.
The other thing I learned the hard way is to cook the ragu down further than feels right, until a spoon dragged across the bottom of the pot leaves a clear trail for a second or two. A loose sauce gives you a soupy lasagna, honestly every time. I serve a square of it next to a chopped romaine salad with olives and a garlic knot, and leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge.
This Italian sausage lasagna with ricotta builds its ragu on red wine and a teaspoon of honey, so the tomatoes taste round instead of sharp. A pinch of nutmeg goes into the ricotta. Barely there, but you'd miss it. One 9x13 pan feeds eight, and you can assemble it the night before and bake it straight from the fridge.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until browned with no pink left. Spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat.1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1 1/2 lb Italian sausage
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more, until the paste darkens to a brick red.1 medium yellow onion, 5 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp tomato paste
- Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until the wine has mostly cooked off.3/4 cup dry red wine
- Add the crushed tomatoes, honey, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then cook partly covered for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick enough that a spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a trail. Stir in the torn basil, taste and adjust the salt.28 oz crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp honey, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 cup fresh basil
- In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, egg, 1/2 cup Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, nutmeg, chopped basil and salt until smooth.15 oz whole milk ricotta, 1 large egg, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano, 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 cup fresh basil, 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Boil the noodles in a large pot of salted water for 2 minutes less than the package says. Drain and lay them flat on a lightly oiled baking sheet so they don't stick together.12 lasagna noodles
- Spread 1 cup of ragu over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Lay 3 noodles on top, then spread one third of the ricotta filling, 1 1/4 cups of ragu and 1 cup of mozzarella. Repeat twice. Finish with the last 3 noodles, the rest of the ragu and the remaining mozzarella.16 oz whole milk mozzarella
- Sprinkle the 1/4 cup Parmesan and the dried parsley over the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, raise the oven to 400°F and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the cheese is browned in spots and the edges bubble.1/4 cup grated Parmesan, 1 tsp dried parsley
- Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before cutting it into 8 squares, so the layers set and hold their shape.
Nutrition
Notes
Boil the noodles 2 minutes short of the package time; they finish softening in the oven. Swap half the sausage for ground beef if you want a milder ragu.
You might also like our Easy Blush Sauce.
