Lasagna to end eating of all other Lasagnas

I'm not even kidding. Cooking any other lasagna is just pointless. Much like the pumpkin chili, this lasagna has ruined me for anything else. It must be the "shower of cheese" (see the "J Man Cooks Too" post) that does me in...or the yummy spicy turkey sausage and fresh basil, or the fresh mozzarella, or the whole kit and caboodle (did you guys have have "caboodles"??? My sister and I totally had one and it was excellent. Especially when we needed to pack up all of our makeup in the 5th grade and head to grandma's house. Except we didn't use it for makeup really-we kept all of our beads in it! If memory serves me correctly, it still serves as a bead-keeper in the toy closet at my parent's house...)

Anyfood, this recipe is from my girl Ina out of "Barefoot Contessa Family Style." Get it already!!

Lasagna with Turkey Sausage

(Serves 8)

Ingredients

2 tbsps olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree

1 6-oz can tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound lasagna noodles

15 ounces ricotta cheese

3-4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling (I used Romano and it tasted great!)

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced (Tip: freeze the mozzarella for 30 minutes, it makes it easier to slice)

Instructions

1) Preheat the oven to 400*.

2) Heat the olive oil in a large (10-12 inch) skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8-10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tbsps of the parsley, the basil, 1 1/2 tsps salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 15-20 minuets, until thickened.

3) Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain. (Different - isn't it? Totally works great!)

4) In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parm (or Romano if you are me), the egg, the remaining 2 tbsps of parsley, 1.2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. (My cousin JJ and her hubby recommended adding a few pinches of red pepper flakes for some heat and few shakes of nutmeg - I'm not sure what it does, but it does something and it makes my taste buds sing.)

5) Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 x 12 x 2 inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta mixture, and 1/3 of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta mixture, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parm. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling. (You can totes make this one ahead and refrigerate it - buts be sure to bake a little longer, 35-40 minutes, or until bubbly.)

**The recipe doesn't say this, but I would advise showing some restraint and letting the lasagna sit for at least 5-10 minutes to let the cheese set. I showed absolutely no self-control when we ate this the other night and the cheese shower was a bit of a mess all over my cook top...lesson learned. Have a snack before dinner so you aren't ravenous, or plug your nose before you pull the lasagna out of the oven so you are tempted by the decadent scents emitting from the lasagna!!

An old family friend was in town from Nicaragua visiting schools and he joined us for a meal and a great snow storm! Good luck with grad school Brian!