Possibly the Best Lasagna Recipe in the Entire World

I think this recipe originally came from Barefoot Contessa.
Photo courtesy of Morguefile


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a large 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 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.

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.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 13-inch 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, and one 1/3 of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

The word "lasagna" comes from the Greek word "lasanon," which means chamber pot. The word eventually evolved to mean cooking pot (I don't know that I really want to explore that particular evolution). The Italians originally used the word to mean the dish in which the food was cooked.

"Lasagna" now refers to both the flat sheets of pasta as well as the yummy, cheesy dish made with those pasta sheets.

Many lasagna recipes can be made without pre-cooking the noodles. The moisture and heat from the other ingredients will cook the noodles as the dish bakes.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, then remove the cover for another 20 minutes to let the sauce thicken.

Use a non-reactive glass or ceramic dish for baking to avoid a reaction with the acidic tomato sauce.

You can assemble your lasagna ahead of time and store uncooked in the fridge overnight, or you can freeze it to cook later.

You can make lasagna in your dishwasher.