Veal and Chicken Sausage Lasagna

This may come as a shocker, but until yesterday I had never made lasagna.

Yeah, I know. That one almost knocked me out of my chair.

Truthfully, I’ve just never been a big fan of lasagna.

Stop, you do not need to throw things at me or chase me with a pitchfork.

Because after yesterday, I take it back. I eat my words. Pun intended.

Lasagna is freaking tasty.

Especially when you do it my way.

You will need…

¼ cup olive oil

½ lb ground beef

½ lb ground veal

6 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 large cans (28 ounces) Italian peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped and juices reserved

28 ounce can tomato puree

2 cups chicken stock

2 bay leaves

6 thyme sprigs tied together

1 tablespoon sugar

1 ½ lb chicken sausage (whatever your favorite may be), finely chopped or ground in a food processor

3 cups mushrooms, finely chopped

2 lbs ricotta cheese

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

¼ cup basil, finely chopped

½ cup Parmesan, freshly grated

1 lb mozzarella, grated

1 large egg, beaten

12 flat pasta sheets, cooked per package instructions

Salt and pepper to taste.

Start by heating the oil until shimmering in a large enameled cast-iron casserole.

Add in the veal and ground beef and cook over medium high heat, breaking up the meat into large chunks as it cooks. Cook until no pink remains. About 7 minutes.

Add in the garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Stir in the tomato paste and stir until the meat is coated.

Add in the tomatoes and their juices as well as the tomato puree, chicken stock, bay leaves, thyme and sugar. Season well with salt and pepper and bring it to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened and reduced to about 8 cups. About 1 ½ hours. When the sauce has reduced remove the bay leaves and the thyme sprigs.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage meat and mushrooms and cook until the sausage has browned and the mushrooms are tender. About 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta with the parsley, basil and ½ of the Parmesan. Add in 2/3rds of the shredded mozzarella and season with salt and pepper. Beat in the egg.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread about 1 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish.

Top the sauce with a layer of 3 pasta sheets.

Then top the pasta sheets with half the ricotta mixture.

Over the ricotta, layer half of the sausage.

Top the sausage with half the remaining sauce.

Repeat with another layer of pasta, then ricotta, followed by sausage and topped with sauce.

Place the final layer of pasta and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Just until the top is browned and the filling is bubbling.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Slice and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Veal and Chicken Sausage Lasagna

¼ cup olive oil

½ lb ground beef

½ lb ground veal

6 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 large cans (28 ounces) Italian peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped and juices reserved

28 ounce can tomato puree

2 cups chicken stock

2 bay leaves

6 thyme sprigs tied together

1 tablespoon sugar

1 ½ lb chicken sausage (whatever your favorite may be), finely chopped or ground in a food processor

3 cups mushrooms, finely chopped

2 lbs ricotta cheese

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

¼ cup basil, finely chopped

½ cup Parmesan, freshly grated

1 lb mozzarella, grated

1 large egg, beaten

12 flat pasta sheets, cooked per package instructions

Salt and pepper to taste.

Start by heating the oil until shimmering in a large enameled cast-iron casserole.

Add in the veal and ground beef and cook over medium high heat, breaking up the meat into large chunks as it cooks. Cook until no pink remains. About 7 minutes.

Add in the garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Stir in the tomato paste and stir until the meat is coated.

Add in the tomatoes and their juices as well as the tomato puree, chicken stock, bay leaves, thyme and sugar. Season well with salt and pepper and bring it to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened and reduced to about 8 cups. About 1 ½ hours. When the sauce has reduced remove the bay leaves and the thyme sprigs.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage meat and mushrooms and cook until the sausage has browned and the mushrooms are tender. About 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta with the parsley, basil and ½ of the Parmesan. Add in 2/3rds of the shredded mozzarella and season with salt and pepper. Beat in the egg.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread about 1 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish.

Top the sauce with a layer of 3 pasta sheets.

Then top the pasta sheets with half the ricotta mixture.

Over the ricotta, layer half of the sausage.

Top the sausage with half the remaining sauce.

Repeat with another layer of pasta, then ricotta, followed by sausage and topped with sauce.

Place the final layer of pasta and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Just until the top is browned and the filling is bubbling.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Slice and serve hot.