Sausage and Spinach Lasagna

Submitted by Doanique

"I have made many variations of lasagna and this one is my favorite. Originally a manacotti recipe but I don't have the patience to stuff them. Hope you enjoy it as much as my family does."

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 1⁄2 cup whole milk or 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 16 ounces of chopped spinach (frozen or fresh)
• 32 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons fennel
• 28 ounces pasta sauce (Homemade or store bought)
• 1 package lasagna noodle

directions

1. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions. (Of course you can use oven ready lasagna. I prefer the ones you boil first.)
2. Remove the sausage from the casing and break up.
3. Add the milk or half and half (This trick makes it easier to break up the sausage and keeps it moist. The other ingredients will blend better with the sausage if it is moist) Cook in a large frying pan until no longer pink. Remove from heat.
4. Add the fennel and the nutmeg. Stir well.
5. Add the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and eggs. Stir well.
6. Add the spinach. Stir well.
7. Now assemble the lasagna (Here is how I do this – first I put some sauce on the bottom of the lasagna pan, put in a layer of noodles, then the filling. Put sauce on the filling to make it easier to spread and then repeat the procedure. On top I sprinkle more parmesan and Italian Seasoning)
8. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.