Lasagna with Italian Sausage

Ah lasagna! Now that’s amore! HARRY

1 3/4 cups marinara sauce [see recipe below]
4 1/2 ounces no-boil lasagna noodles
2 large hot Italian sausages
4 ounces log goat’s cheese, crumbled
4 ounces fresh buffalo mozzarella or regular mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly grease an 8 by 8-inch baking dish. Prepare the marinara sauce below or use a commercial brand. Split the sausage casings, crumble the meat into a hot skillet, and sauté until browned. Layer the sauce, noodles, sausage, goat’s cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil, ending with noodles topped with a thin layer of sauce and Parmesan. In a length of tin foil 8 inches longer than the baking dish, make a 1-inch crease side-to-side across the center. Cover the lasagna tightly with the foil, pulling the crease apart to create a tent. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until browned.
Makes 4 servings.

Marinara Sauce

1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes in purée
1 large onion, peeled and halved
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 (4-inch) sprigs fresh oregano
3 (3-inch) sprigs fresh thyme

In a medium saucepan, combine the tomatoes, onion, bay leaf, oil, oregano, and thyme. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 30 to 40 minutes until slightly thickened. Discard the bay leaf, oregano, and thyme. Remove the onion, slice thinly, sauté in a medium skillet until very tender, and return to the sauce.
Makes 1 3/4 cups.

NOTE: If you can’t find tomatoes in puree, use tomatoes in juice, drained with the juice reserved to add as needed.