Italian-Sausage Lasagna
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INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, 3 links
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons sugar
Salt
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 (1-pound, 12-ounce) can Italian-style tomatoes, undrained
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup water
12 curly lasagna noodles
1 (1-pound) container cottage cheese
1 egg
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 pound mozzarella cheese, thinly slicedIn hot oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven, over medium heat, sauté sausage, onion, and garlic, turning until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove sausage. Set aside.
Add sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, the basil, fennel seed, pepper, and half the parsley; mix well. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and 1/2 cup water, mashing tomatoes with wooden spoon. Bring to boiling; reduce heat; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 1-1/2 hours.
In 8-quart kettle, bring 3 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling. Add lasagna, 2 or 3 at a time. Return to boiling; boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or just until tender. Drain in colander; rinse under cold water. Dry lasagna with paper towels.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well.
Slice sausage on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices.
In bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish, spoon 1-1/2 cups sauce. Layer 6 lasagna, lengthwise and overlapping to cover. Spread with half of cottage-cheese mixture. Spoon 1-1/2 cups sauce over cheese; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Repeat layering, starting with 6 lasagna and ending with 1-1/2 cups sauce sprinkled with Parmesan. Spread with remaining sauce; top with mozzarella and sliced sausage and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Cover with foil, tucking around edge.
Bake 25 minutes; remove foil; bake, uncovered, 25 minutes longer or until bubbly. Cool 15 minutes before serving.
Makes 10 servings