Lasagna is one of my favorite Italian dishes. Every person who I have ever met who makes lasagna has a different way to prepare it. Some boil the noodles, some do not, some use this cheese, some use that cheese. For myself, every dish of lasagna I make, I try to do a bit different.

As with most Italian dishes, the sauce is the most important ingredient. I have already discussed how to make a basic Italian sauce here. The only modification from this would be to add meat. When you make the sauce, add a pound of hot italian sausage links, removed from the skin, to the garlic after you let it cook for 2 minutes. Let the sausage cook for about 5 minutes, then add the onions and keep stirring and cutting the sausage breaking it up into the smallest pieces you can. You will need more tomato sauce than the tomato sauce recipe, so add another can of crushed tomatoes to the recipe and up the basil a teaspoon.

The second most important ingredient is the cheese. The cheese will define your lasagna with your own unique flavor. Just about any cheese can be used, but try to avoid over processed cheese. My favorite cheese for lasagna is fontina. It may be a bit hard to find, but any place that sells cheese, will most likely have fontina. It is a goat cheese who’s flavor is perfect for lasagna. If this is your first time you have made my recipe, follow the cheeses below. The next time, try some of your favorites!

The lasagna pasta can be found in any supermarket. There is an ongoing argument whether the pasta should be cooked before hand or not. Myself, I am a busy man and do not cook them. Honestly, I like a firm lasagna, where if you cook it ahead of time, I find the lasagna pasta to be too soft.

Ingredients

• Tomato sauce, prepared (see recipe) Add sausage as per directions above. Add extra can of crushed tomatoes and teaspoon of basil.
  
• 1/2 ripe of fontina cheese. If fontina is impossible to find, get additional 24 oz. of shredded mozzarella.
• 24 oz. of shredded mozzarella.
• 24 oz. shredded cheddar cheese.
  
• 1 large container of ricotta cheese.
• Grated parmesan cheese.
  
• 1 box of lasagna pasta.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375.

Prepare the sauce and keep it hot. If you are using left over sauce, make sure it is hot before you start.

In a large deep casserole dish, or a large aluminum lasagna dish, spread out the ricotta to cover the bottom of the pan about 1/2 inch deep. Pack it down so it is flat with a fork or spatula.

Spoon in a layer of sauce to cover the ricotta. If you like lasagna heavy in sauce, add a lot, otherwise add just enough to cover the cheese.

Add a layer of the pasta, breaking if needed to fit the pan. DO NOT overlap the noodles.

Add a layer of sauce.

Add a layer of your fontina (or if you substituted mozzarella, use that). You should use all of the fontina (or 24 oz of mozzarella) and cover completely.

Add a layer of pasta and pack down. Again, do not overlap.

Add another layer of sauce.

Add the cheddar cheese as another layer.

Add another layer of pasta and the remainder of the sauce.

Take the mozzarella cheese and cover the sauce completely.

Sprinkle parmesan to taste of the top of the lasagna.

Make sure the entire lasagna is covered in cheese as this holds in the juice and helps cook the pasta.

Put into the oven and cook 50 – 60 minutes until the noodles are soft and cheese is melted. If the cheese is browning too much, you can cover it with tinfoil.

Let stand for 15 minutes before serving to let the lasagna firm up.

Modifications

You can sprinkle spices such as oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, etc. on top of the lasagna for extra flavor.

Use ground beef instead of sausage for a less bold flavor.

Use whole canned tomatoes cut into quarters instead of using meat for a more vegetarian type dish.

Add a swirl of sauce on top of the lasagna before cooking to add more color and flavor to the “crust”.

Enjoy!