4-Cheese Lasagne

This is a slightly richer version of a favorite comfort food – with a goat cheese-ricotta mixture layered with robust tomato sauce, sausage, mozzarella slices, sheets of pasta, and parmesan. Oven-ready lasagna sheets cut out a step and make this recipe a little easier to make. Check the notes for even faster prep hints.

This baked dish is perfect for everything from weeknight dinners to parties and entertaining. Serve with a garden salad and french bread for the perfect meal.

4-Cheese Lasagne

Servings

10-12

servings
Prep time

40

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 9-oz box oven-ready lasagna noodles OR 1/2 of a 16-oz box of regular lasagna noodles

  • For the sauce:
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 2 tsp minced garlic

  • 1 1/2 lbs Jimmy Dean’s regular pork sausage

  • 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes, in tomato puree

  • 1 6-oz can tomato paste

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

  • kosher salt

  • freshly ground black pepper

  • For the ricotta mixture:
  • 15 oz whole milk ricotta

  • 4 oz creamy goat cheese

  • 1 cup shredded Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling on top

  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

  • 1 lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400° F.
  • If using regular lasagna noodles, set a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside while preparing the filling.
  • For the sauce:
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
  • Add the sausage and cook over medium heat, breaking it up with a fork or spatula, until no longer pink – about 8-10 minutes.
  • Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 1/2 the parsley, basil, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat, for 15-20 minutes, until slightly thickened.
  • For the ricotta mixture:
  • In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup Parmesan, egg, the remaining 1/2 of the parsley, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Mix well (especially the goat cheese) and set aside.
  • To assemble the lasagne:
  • Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 x 13 baking dish, spreading the sauce evenly over the bottom of the dish.
  • Add 1/2 of the oven-ready OR cooked noodles, 1/2 of the mozzarella slices, 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat in the same order, ending with the sauce again.
  • Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan over the top and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes – until the sauce is bubbling. Serve hot.

Notes

  • Barilla’s Oven Ready Lasagna noodles make this recipe so fast and easy to make. No need to even soak these – just layer them in your lasagna straight out of the box.
  • To make this recipe even faster, substitute a jar of really good pasta sauce for the tomatoes, herbs and spices. Just mix into the cooked sausage and onions in the skillet. I love Barilla’s Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce for this.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.