Chicken Lasagna

Amy

ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound sweet Italian chicken sausage, casings removed (note, you can use any flavor sausage you like. Also, you can substitute chicken with turkey)
1 pound ground chicken meat (again, you can substitute the chicken with turkey)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (fresh is key with this herb - it really adds flavor)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 box lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten (Note, if your cheese mixture is too thick and won’t spread, add an extra egg)
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced (Note, get any mozzarella if you’re trying to save $$)

directions

1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2
Heat the olive oil in a large (10 to 12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
3
Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink.
4
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.
5
Meanwhile, boil water in a large pot. Add the noodles and allow them to boil & cook according to the package’s directions. Drain.
6
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
7
Ladle a small amount of sauce to the bottom of a 9 by 12 by 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish, so that the lasagna doesn’t stick. I will sometimes use a little bit of jar sauce for this since it doesn’t really add to the dish, more just to prevent the sticking. Then add the layers as follows: pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one 1/3 of the sauce. Add another layer of pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan.
8
*Note - sometimes we will add another layer of pasta & a little cheese/sauce, just to make the lasagna more sturdy & easier to cut, but that’s up to you. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.