Lasagna of Love

Dazzle your date with a fabulous dish
Text by D.S. Fisher & recipe by F. Jackman

Photo by K. Thomas

Add half the filling, along with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 2.5 tablespoons of parmesan.

Add another layer of noodles, and cover the noodles with sauce. Add the
remaining filling, plus 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 2.5 tablespoons of parmesan. Finish with a final layer of noodles, sauce and the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Day Two

Remove the lasagna from the refrigerator and place it on the counter for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°. Place the foil-wrapped lasagna in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Take the lasagna out of the oven and remove the foil.

Increase the heat to 375°. Return the uncovered lasagna to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. (At this point, you could add a foil-wrapped loaf of French bread to heat alongside the lasagna if you wish.)

Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. (If you’re heating French bread also, leave it in the oven while the lasagna rests, so it gets a full 20 minutes.) After the lasagna has rested, slice it and serve.

Notes:
It’s important to select a good brand for the no-boil noodles. I’ve had good results with Barilla.

If you don’t have no-boil noodles, or you don’t want to wait, just boil regular lasagna noodles and proceed with the recipe as directed.

You forgot to make reservations - again. Before you despair, remember that a homemade meal is very romantic. Can’t boil water? Not to worry. This recipe is designed for maximum flavor with minimum fuss. It uses no-boil noodles, which eliminates the task of cooking the noodles before assembling the dish.

This recipe is designed to be assembled the day before, so that the noodles have time to absorb the sauce overnight. All you have to do on the day itself is heat and serve. So make your shopping list, and prepare to conquer the kitchen.

Overnight Lasagna

This recipe is designed to be assembled 24 hours in advance.
Yield: 2 8x8-inch pans, or one 9x13 pan

9-ounce box no-boil lasagna noodles (see notes)

Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, bulk or casings removed
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with green pepper & onion (undrained)

Filling
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, stems removed, chopped
16 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (2 ounces)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Day One

Make the sauce: Brown the sausage over medium heat and drain the excess fat. Heat the olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes. Saute the onion until it becomes translucent, approximately seven minutes. Add the chopped garlic and saute for two minutes. (Don’t add the garlic any sooner, or it will turn bitter.) Add the crushed tomatoes, and the diced tomatoes along with their juices. Add the browned sausage to the pot and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes to blend the flavors. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Prepare the filling: Place the chopped basil leaves in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining filling ingredients and combine using your hands or a large spoon. (Don’t use a food processor, or the filling will turn green.)

Assemble the lasagna: Spread sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish or two 8x8 pans. Add a layer of noodles, and spread some of the sauce over the noodles.