LASAGNA VARIATIONS RECIPES

Steps:

• Cook sausage and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, basil and salt.
• Mix 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. (Refrigerate remaining mozzarella cheese while lasagna cooks.)
• Spoon one-fourth of the sausage mixture into 6-quart slow cooker; top with 5 noodles, broken into pieces to fit. Spread with half of the cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with 5 noodles, remaining cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with remaining 5 noodles and remaining sausage mixture.
• Cover and cook on Low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or until noodles are tender.
• Sprinkle top of lasagna with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover and let stand about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into pieces.

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Break the lasagna noodles into random smaller pieces.
• In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, oregano, and thyme and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. 
• Increase the heat to medium-high, then add the ground beef, sausage, salt, and pepper . . . 
• And saute until the meat is fully cooked, breaking it up as you go, about 5 minutes. Drain off at least half of the grease. 
• Add the tomato paste . . . 
• And stir to combine. Let the tomato paste cook for 1 minute. 
• Add the wine and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up any flavorful little bits. 
• Add the tomatoes and their juice, crushing them with the spoon as you stir them in. 
• Add the stock and stir it in . . . 
• Then add the parsley. 
• Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. 
• Cook the noodles about 1 minute less than the package directions, until almost tender. Drain and set aside. 
• Pour in the cream and stir to combine. 
• Add the noodles and let them simmer for 5 minutes while you make the ricotta mixture. 
• Make the ricotta "dumplings:" In a bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper . . . 
• And stir until combined. 
• Dish up bowls of soup, sprinkle with a little extra basil, and add a dollop of ricotta (or two or three) to the top of each one!