Sausage, Spinach, and Mushroom Lasagna
Homemade sausage, spinach, and mushroom lasagna with from-scratch tomato sauce
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot minced (may substitute onion)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 red bell pepper diced
- 1 cup red wine
- 28 oz canned peeled tomatoes preferably San Marzano
- 2 Tbsp double concentrated tomato paste
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp dried fennel seeds
- salt and pepper to taste
Ricotta Mixture
- 1 egg
- 15 oz ricotta store-bought or homemade
- 1 cup parmesan freshly grated
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Lasagna
- 1 lb bulk Italian sausage sweet, mild, or spicy
- 1.5 lb cremini mushrooms
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6-8 cloves garlic minced
- 1/8 tsp dried thyme
- 8 oz fresh spinach
- 10 lasagna noodles 1 is extra in case of breakage
- 1 lb whole milk mozzarella grated
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella sliced
- 1 oz fresh basil
Instructions
Tomato Sauce
- Place large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add 1 T olive oil. When hot, add diced shallot (or onion) and bell pepper. Sauté until softened, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, cook for 20 seconds.
- Crumble bulk sausage into mixture and stir. Cook until browned. (SEE NOTE)
- Add red wine. Cook over medium heat until reduced by half and dish no longer smells of alcohol.
- Add tomatoes, straining them through your hands and roughly crushing them as they're added to the pan. Stir. Add spices and salt and pepper.
- Simmer for at least 30 min, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste.
Ricotta Mixture
- Once the tomato sauce is simmering, crack an egg into a medium bowl and beat with a fork.
- Add ricotta, parmesan, and nutmeg. Mix well with fork.
Lasagna
- Heat large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 T olive oil, and add mushrooms (in batches if necessary) once hot. Sauté for 5 min, then salt and pepper to taste. Add thyme, and once nearly done, add minced garlic. Stir frequently while mushrooms cook, and add more oil if necessary. Drain mushrooms in a colander and set aside.
- In same sauté pan, add additional 1 T olive oil. Add spinach, season with salt and pepper. Sauté until wilted. Remove to a colander and press on leaves with a wooden spoon to remove excess moisture. Set aside.
- Boil water in a large stockpot. Salt, and add lasagna noodles. Cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain under cold running water.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Assemble lasagna: Ladle sauce to lightly cover bottom of 9x13 pan. Place 3 noodles into pan lengthwise. Spread half of ricotta mixture over noodles. Top with mushrooms and spinach. Ladle 1/2 of remaining sauce over veggies. Top with 8 oz shredded mozzarella. Place 3 more noodles and repeat. Top with last 3 noodles and any remaining sauce. Cover with foil and bake 45 min.
- Remove foil and top lasagna with sliced fresh mozzarella. Broil x 1 min. Top with fresh basil.
- Allow to cool 10 min, then slice and serve.
Notes
NOTE: This recipe can be easily modified to accommodate vegetarians or picky eaters. The sauce can be made without meat, or the meat can be cooked separately and added to half of the lasagna only. It can be assembled in two pans if necessary. Freezing half is also an option with two pans - cut the noodles in half, assemble each 8x8 pan as directed, and after assembly wrap one pan in foil and freeze. Defrost the night before using and cook as directed.