#132 Learn How to Cook- Sausage Lasagna

I have finally cooked my way into the intermediate level of cooking. By the way, don't mind the broken stove. For some reason our new electric stove's clock has gone crazy, missing some important lights. GE product...go figure. Ok so this Lasagna...it's ok, it was a little runny but I think that is just because I cooked it with foil over the entire time in the oven. Next time I am going to try to cook half without any kind of cover and hopefully it reduces the amount of water in the dish.

What you need:

• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomato. I used crushed tomato with basil
• 1/4 cup dry red wine. I used our wedding wine
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, plus 2 whole sprigs
• 3 cloves garlic, minced yahhh
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (16-ounce) container low fat cottage cheese
• 1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 bag of baby spinach
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 8 ounces of Italian sweet sausage
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 9 sheets of lasagna noodles
• 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)
• Olive oil

Order of events:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Start boiling water for lasagna noodles. When boiling add noodles. I would suggest added a little more then you need just in case one or two get destroyed in the cooking process.
• In a small pot bring the tomatoes, wine, whole basil sprigs (I chopped mine), garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, to taste, to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened about 10 minutes and set aside.
• Meanwhile, puree the cottage cheese in the bowl of a food processor until smooth. Add ricotta, spinach (use however much you think you need), 1/4 cup chopped basil, nutmeg, and salt and pepper and pulse until just combined. Or, if you have a mini food processor like mine, mixed in a bowl.
• Coat a large non-stick skillet with olive oil and cook the sausage and onion, breaking it up into small pieces, until the meat is brown and the onion is tender. About 10 minutes.
• Next it's time to assemble our lasagna. Mist a 13x9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray (or olive oil). Spread tomato sauce so it covers the bottom of the pan, use about 1/2 a cup. Top the sauce with three noodles and on top of the noodles, half of the cheese mixture, half the sausage and top with mozzarella cheese. Repeat for the next layer. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the noodles are tender and the sauce is bubbling about 1 hour.
• Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and continue to bake until melted, about 10 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes. 
• Serve and lick your plate.