Spicy Baked Lasagna

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 3 lbs italian sausage, hot
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 1 (28 ounce) jar tomato sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 (16 ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 16 ounces lasagna noodles, wide
• 16 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated

Recipe

• 1 in a heavy skillet, slowly brown the sausage, breaking it up with a fork or use a cuisinart which is quite effective and saves time. drain off any excess fat.
• 2 add bell pepper and cook 2 minutes longer.
• 3 meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook the onion and garlic until softened.
• 4 add onion mixture, tomato sauce, wine, parsley flakes, basil and 1 1/2 tsp salt to sausage.
• 5 simmer sausage sauce for 30 minutes.
• 6 meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• 7 cook pasta as directed by its package.
• 8 in a bowl, stir together lightly beaten eggs, ricotta cheese, salt and pepper.
• 9 pour 1 cup of sauce in a 14x10x4 in baking pan and cover with 3 pasta strips, making sure they do not touch one another.
• 10 spread about 2 cups sauce over pasta.
• 11 drop one-third of the ricotta mixture by spoonfuls onto sauce and gently spread with back of spoon.
• 12 sprinkle one fourth of the mozzarella over ricotta mixture and make two more layers in the same manner, beginning and ending with pasta.
• 13 spread remaining sauce evenly over top, making sure pasta is completely covered and sprinkle with parmesan and remaining mozzarella cheese.
• 14 cover pan tightly with foil and bake in middle of the oven 20 minutes.
• 15 remove foil and bake 10 minutes longer or until top is bubbling and golden.
• 16 let stand 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into squares.