I have been a fan of Giada for years, and I have made dozens of her recipes. When I came across this recipe I knew it would be amazing. If you think the best part of lasagna is the crunchy bit on top, then this is a recipe for you.
The first time I make a recipe I follow it completely, this version is what I’ve done over time to make it more to our liking.
16 ounces lasagna noodles broken into 3 pieces
1 pound Italian sausage
2 large shallots diced
2 cloves garlic minced
32 ounces Rao’s Tomato Basil sauce
1 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Salt to taste
1 cups ricotta cheese
5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pasta water
Olive Oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt to taste like the sea. Add the broken lasagna noodles and cook for 8 minutes. They will finish cooking in the oven.
In a small bowl mix together the ricotta, drained spinach and salt to taste. Set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, use a large skillet and add a tablespoon of good olive oil. Heat over medium heat and crumble the sausage as you add it to the pan. Let it cook for 3 minutes without stirring so it can get a layer of flavor. Add the shallots and garlic and stir well, breaking up the sausage into smaller pieces, then let it cook another 5 minutes or until the sausage is done. Turn off the heat and add the entire jar of Rao’s (my favorite brand) sauce and the Italian seasoning. Stir well.
Set aside 1/2 cup of the pasta water and then strain the pasta and put back into the pot it cooked in. Pour the sauce mixture over the noodles, add a handful of parmesan and mozzarella cheese, add the 1/2 cup of pasta water and mix well.
Take a 12 x 17 sheet pan and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray, or grease it with a thin layer of olive oil. Pour the entire mixture onto the sheet pan and spread evenly. Dollop the ricotta mixture onto the top in 6 to 9 places, then sprinkle the rest of the parmesan and mozzarella on top.
Place sheet pan in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.
You can store your leftovers, if there are any, in a lidded container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze individual portions in the freezer up to 3 months.
NOTE: For the sausage you can use turkey, chicken or pork – mild, sweet, hot or a mix.
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