sausage and mushroom lasagne

by Michelle

There is something about Friday night that screams “have fun!”. Tonight we are going to do just that… We have invited  some friends over for dinner and I am preparing a hearty meat and vegetable lasagna. Lasagna is the perfect party food. It makes your guests feel relaxed and excited to sit down to a delicious, humbly extravagant meal.

My husband Ralph jokes that I have never served him the same lasagna twice. I haven’t! There are too many possible combinations and so little time…

Here’s tonight’s version

SAUSAGE AND MUSHROOM LASAGNA

10 pork sausage links, cooked, cooled and sliced into mouth size chunks

8 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and halved

2 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced in rings

3 tablespoons olive oil

heat olive oil in large skillet on medium high heat

add mushrooms and fry til golden then add peppers

toss the vegetables for a couple of minutes to just begin to cook the peppers

remove from heat and set aside

2 red onions, peeled and chopped fine

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb freshly ground pork

1 lb freshly ground beef

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

28 ounce can best quality diced plum tomatoes

heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat and add onion and garlic

saute for 5 minutes then start to crumble the pork and beef into the skillet

using a wooden spoon, continue breaking up the meat until it is very crumbly and fully cooked

add herbs, salt, pepper and tomatoes

bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour

fresh lasagna noodles

4 cups shredded mozzarella

using a large baking dish, spread a thin layer of meat sauce over bottom of pan

cover the sauce with a layer of fresh lasagna noodles

you can make your own or use commercial

place all of the prepared sausage on the layer of pasta then pour a little of the meat sauce over the sausage

sprinkle lightly with some mozzarella

place a layer of pasta over the sausage

pour all of the mushroom and pepper mixture over the pasta

sprinkle with a little meat sauce and mozzarella

you are using just a little mozzarella between the layers to make the lasagna sturdy

add another layer of pasta and cover this layer with remaining meat sauce

sprinkle top with remaining cheese

bake in a preheat oven for 45 minutes or until top is golden and sauce is bubbling

this recipe will feed 8 people happily!

When mine is done cooking I’ll post the picture…

Thanks for reading