Turkey Sausage & Goat Cheese Lasagna

Sometimes you just hit recipe gold, I can not even count the hours I spent in the kitchen over the weekend (gladly spent might I add). Between baking, MTV reruns & Indigo, I was quite the busy lady. By the way, I am admitting right now that I vowed not to watch anymore MTV but I totally failed over the weekend – bad TV is like a drug to me!



I ate this Lasagna from Friday on up until Monday; sometimes you don’t choose to eat the same thing 3 days in a row but this I gladly did. I remember back about 8 years ago where I had to eat Ramen for weeks on end…this I did not gladly do - which is odd since in high school it was my main source of calories!

Here are a few reasons to make this Lasagna –

1. It will impress guests
2. It is a departure with that spiffy thing I love so much = GOAT CHEESE
3. Ina thought it up, she is a lady of perfection

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons 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-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
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large (10 to 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 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



Assemble at your leisure, I did sauce, noodle, ricotta, mozzarella – on up with 3 layers. The top was just a wee bit of sauce with mozzarella bits and parmesan.



Now out of the oven after 30 minutes or so.