Spicy Lasagna Recipe (with vegetarian option)

Spicy Lasagna

1 lb ground spicy Italian sausage (I used mild Italian sausage for the non-spicy lasagna)

1 qt Brent's pasta sauce or other prepared pasta sauce (I actually used a bit more than a qt, so have two bottles on hand, but you can get by with just one)

1 lg container ricotta cheese

A bunch of dried basil

2 eggs

18 lasagna noodles

shredded mozzarella cheese

Boil lasagna noodles until al dente. While the noodles are cooking, brown the sausage. Once the sausage is cooked, pour in the pasta sauce and let simmer for a while. Mix ricotta cheese with eggs and basil. Use a tiny bit of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Then layer 6 noodles (this will require some significant overlapping, which I do because I like my lasagna heavy on the noodles, so you could use 5 noodles instead and still have plenty of coverage), 1/3 the cheese mixture, then 1/3 the sauce. It's better to be a little skimpy on the sauce on the first two layers so that you have plenty for the top layer. Repeat layering two more times. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes. Let it cool completely. Store it in the fridge until you are ready for it's second baking, just before you serve. For second baking, put it in a 300 oven for about an hour or until warmed through. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on the top about 20 minutes before it's done. Let cheese get bubbly and brown. (The second baking is what makes the lasagna really good, so be sure to not omit that step.)

For the vegetarian version:

omit the sausage

slice a couple of medium sized summer squashes.

Put squash on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with garlic salt and thyme. Roast in a 350 oven for 10-15 minutes. Add a squash layer between the cheese and sauce layers.

That's it.

-Maren