THE ONLY LASAGNA RECIPE YOU’LL EVER NEED

Is it just me, or is the perfect lasagna recipe hard to come by? I’ve tried a bunch, and this one is it. My husband (the insane person that he is) doesn’t really like lasagna, but he LOVES this one. He says it’s the only one he’ll eat. I hope you like it as much as we do!

Ina Garten’s Turkey Lasagna

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped yellow 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
3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Preheat to 400 degrees.

Heat the olive oil over medium-low in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up, 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.

Fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain. (I recommend skipping this by using no boil noodles!!)

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

Ladle a third of the sauce into a 9×12 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 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

My Notes:

• No-boil noodles are a lifesaver when making lasagna!
• I use less meat than it calls for—about a pound instead of a pound and a half. And I use whatever meat I have on hand, whether it’s turkey sausage or half ground beef / half spicy Italian sausage—it’s all good.
• I usually use shredded mozzarella instead of fresh, just because.
• Amazing tomatoes make a big difference. I usually use a can of San Marzano tomatoes (which I puree in my blender).
• I love to add a 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the sauce.
• For our family, I divide it into two 8×8 pans and freeze one for later. (If I had more freezer space, I’d freeze three for later!)

I hope you like it. Now you have something to eat while you try out some conversation starters around the dinner table! Happy dining!