Heller's Kitchen: Seriously Tasty Lasagna

I've endured many dry, drab, mushy, gushy, bland, blah, and generally lackluster lasagna recipes. In my humble opinion, there are two food let-downs that are so downright offensive that they render your appetite dead on arrival: 1. A fresh peach that looks delicious, smells delicious, but tastes disgusting; and 2. Bad lasagna. There's just no excuse for either one. There's nothing more disappointing than salivating over a steaming, savory-smelling pan of lasagna just emerging from the oven, anxiously waiting for its temperature to drop from "nuclear" to "molten", taking that first enormous bite, and discovering that it's not worth the second-degree burns you just inflicted on your tongue.

Needless mouth-burns, no more! I've patched together a fantastic recipe for a turkey sausage bolognese (thank you, Bon Appetit), my own cheesy filling recipe, and some user-friendly no-boil lasagna noodles. I hope that you find this recipe (which has become my favorite, alongside Elise's spicy spinach and sausage lasagna) worth the time, effort, and mouth burns :)

Cheesy Lasagna with Turkey Sausage Bolognese
(Serves 10-12, or 2 people for a week)

16 No-boil lasagna noodles

2 TBSP olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 large (or 2 medium) carrots, diced

1 lb. spicy turkey or chicken Italian sausage (I like Trader Joe's spicy vino and formaggio chicken Italian sausage)

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 28 oz. cans San Marzano tomatoes, crushed or whole

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 tsp. dried oregano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 eggs, beaten

2 15 oz. containers part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup + 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 TBSP chopped fresh basil
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven (makes sure it holds at least 5 quarts) over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and carrots and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Once the veggies are tender, remove the sausage from its casing and crumble into the pot. Add the garlic and saute until the sausage is cooked. Add crushed red pepper flakes, to taste. Add wine and cook until mostly evaporated, stirring periodically. Add tomatoes (and their juices), along with the fresh basil and oregano. Simmer uncovered for at least 15-20 minutes. Once the sauce has reduced to your liking, add salt and pepper, to taste.

Oh yeah, that's the good stuff.

While the sauce is simmering away, prepare the filling by beating three eggs in a large bowl. Add ricotta, 1 cup of the parmesan, fresh basil, and parsley and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Bring on the cheesy goodness!

To assemble: soak your no boil noodles in a big bowl of hot water for a few minutes prior to assembling, until they become just barely pliable. Bust out your trusty 13" x 9" baking dish and coat the bottom with about 1 cup of the sauce. Top with 4 lasagna noodles, arranging them so that they overlap slightly. Top the noodles with 1/4 of the cheese mixture, using the back of a spoon or a spatula to spread it out.

Top with another cup or so of sauce, 4 noodles, and another 1/4 of the cheesy mixture. Repeat 2 more times. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the lasagna and sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan and mozzarella cheese.