LASAGNA

This  is aboslutely the best lasagna I've ever eaten (and I've eaten a lot because I like it so well). It's made with sausage instead of the usual ground beef; that may have something to do with the taste. Some other recipes for lasagna use pasta noodles that require no cooking before assembly but this one is made in the traditional manner. I used to hate the mess that these noodles make and they're slippery and hot and hard to handle. Just put them between damp kitchen towels, as called for in the recipe, and you'll find that part of the job much easier. This lasagna is so good that you'll find the noodles well worth the effort.

LASAGNA WITH SAUSAGE

serves 6-8



3 T extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1 T chopped fresh parsley

1 23-oz can peeled Italian plum tomatoes

1 6-oz can tomato paste

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 t dried basil, crumbled

1 lb fresh ricotta cheese

1/2 C parmesan cheese

1 egg, lighlty beaten

1 lb dried lasagna, preferably curley edged

1 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onions first and then garlic and cook, stirring often until soft, about 5 minutes. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with the back of a spoon, until no longer pink, 10-15 minutes. Add parsley and cook until meat is browned, 5-10 minutes more. (It's important to brown the meat; that seals in moisture and flavor.)

2. Drain the grease from the skillet, being careful to retain all the ingredients. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and 2 cups water and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 1 1/2 hours. Stir in basil and set sauce aside.

3. Meanwhile, combine ricotta, egg, and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese in a medium bowl and set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water over high heat, stirring often, until just tender, 8-11 minutes (or follow directions on box). Drain, then lay pasta sheets not toucning between damp kitchen towels. You can sprinkle pasta with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking.

5. Spread a thin layer of sauce in a medium deep baking dish (or you can use a traditional lasagna pan), covering the bottom of the pan. Then cover with several sheets of the pasta, covering the sauce completly. Spread one third of the ricotta mixture over pasta, cover with more pasta, spread one third of the sauce over the pasta and arrange one third of the mozzarella over sauce. Repeat layers, ending with ricotta, sauce, then mozzarella. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan. Bake until sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let lasagna rest 15 minutes before serving.

Note: mozzarella is much easier to slice or shred if you place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes before using.

Note: another way to deal with the pasta is after draining, drape the pasta sheets over the side of the colander. When layering the pasta, lay one layer in one direction and the next layer in the other direction.