This Easy Homemade Italian Sausage Lasagna Recipe is the stuff that dreams are made of. Layers of pasta, creamy ricotta, salty chewy mozzarella, salty and hearty Italian Sausage, and sweet and tangy tomato sauce. With each glorious layer, you get incredible flavor from the aromatic garlic and Italian herbs and seasonings. What makes this recipe unique though, is that it has homemade Chicken Italian Sausage vs. traditional ground beef. So you get a healthier, leaner meaty bite with all of that sausage-y garlic and fennel flavor. Seriously, once you try Italian Sausage in your lasagne you will never want it without it!
Easy Make-Ahead Busy Weeknight Dinner
Lasagne may seem like a lot of work to make, but it’s really so easy and you can make several ahead and even freeze. It’s also a great recipe to make with the kids as its so forgiving, it doesn’t matter how messy it gets, as long as all of the ingredients go in, it tastes amazing!
Other Make-Ahead Busy Weeknight Dinners to try!
- Weeknight Black Bean Taco Bowl Bar
- Easy Stovetop Tuna Casserole
- Slow Cooker Chicken & Mushroom Soup
- Taco Casserole
- Cheesy Sausage Broccoli Casserole
Quick note! This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them. This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :). But, I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Nothing special needed for this one! Just a casserole dish, approximately 9×11. Or you can divide it into two smaller pans for freezing one for later.
PREP-AHEAD TO MAKE YOUR ITALIAN SAUSAGE LASAGNA
We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are the steps you prepare in the day(s) in advance and store in the fridge as your meal Kit… (See the recipe below for more details)
For this recipe, you can make the entire Lasagna ahead! However, if you are like me and like to do things in stages so they aren’t so overwhelming all at once, then you can break it up into these steps on the days ahead…
- Make the Italian Sausage and Tomato Sauce
- Mix the Ricotta
- Make the Lasagna
- Cook the Lasagna and eat!
Homemade Italian Sausage is SOOOOO EASY!
So, let’s start with what makes this Lasagna version unique, the Italian Sausage! First, have you ever made your own Italian Sausage? It’s incredibly easy and right at your fingertips as long as you have a few simple ingredients. My version for this recipe uses ground chicken, which is a leaner meat than pork or beef and works really great for Italian Sausage because it sticks together nicely.
Mince the garlic, chop the parsley, and measure out the fennel seed, salt, and pepper.
Then turn the heat for a pot on medium-high and add in a tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add the Chicken Sausage and break it up. Let it search for a few minutes until it get really browned, then stir so that it cooks on all sides.
Once fully cooked, add in the crushed, diced tomatoes – I like both for sauce and texture. Also add the garlic, 1 tsp Italian Seasoning, honey, salt, and pepper.
The final step for the sauce, is to make a cornstarch slurry by adding 1 tbsp of cornstarch to 1/4 cup cold water and mixing. Then stir it into the sauce and cook the sauce for another 5 minutes.
The last prep-ahead step before assembling the Italian Sausage Lasagna is to mix the Ricotta with herbs and seasoning. You want to make sure that every glorious layer is seasoned to bring out maximum flavor. I also add in cornstarch so that it helps to thicken any additional moisture as the ricotta cooks. In a bowl, mix the ricotta with cornstarch 1 tsp Italian Seasoning and salt.
Ok, you now have all of the major components of the Lasagna ready for assembly!
ASSEMBLE & COOK YOUR ITALIAN SAUSAGE LASAGNA
In addition to the Italian Sausage Sauce and the Ricotta, you will need low-moisture Mozzarella slices (fresh has too much water) and No Boil Lasagna Noodles/Sheets. I like these best as they are easy to use and can soak up any additional moisture from the sauce or cheese.
Start by spooning a thin layer of the tomato sauce onto the bottom, just so the pasta sheets don’t stick to the bottom. Try not to get any lumpy sausage on the bottom layer. Then add the first layer of pasta.
Next add a layer of Ricotta followed by a layer of Italian Sausage sauce. The ricotta is easier to spread on the dry pasta vs. on the sauce. 
Now another layer of the pasta sheets, followed by Ricotta and sauce. This second layer, you also want to add a layer of Mozzarella! 
Now the third layer of pasta sheets, ricotta, sauce and mozzarella.
Then the 4th and final Top layer of pasta sheets, final cover of sauce, and final cover of mozzarella.
Bake in a 350 F degree oven for 40 minutes covered. Then uncover and bake for the final 10-15 minutes until the top is starting to get golden and toasty.
Let the lasagna sit outside the oven for 15 minutes before cutting into it just so everything can settle back in and stop bubbling.
ENJOY!
😍 Carrie
Homemade Italian Sausage Lasagna
This Easy Homemade Italian Sausage Lasagna Recipe is the stuff that dreams are made of! Layers of pasta, creamy ricotta, salty chewy mozzarella, hearty flavorful Italian Sausage, and sweet and tangy tomato sauce. With each glorious layer, you get incredible flavor from the aromatic garlic and Italian herbs and seasonings. #Lasagnarecipes #lasagna #italiansausage #familydinner #casseroles #italianrecipes #pasta
Ingredients
Italian Sausage
- 16 oz Ground Turkey or Chicken lean breast, raised without antibiotics
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 3 tbsp Parsley Chopped
- 1 tsp Fennel Seed
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Other Ingredients
- 28 oz Crushed Tomatoes
- 28 oz Diced Tomatoes
- 1 tsp Garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning (1 tsp for sauce, 1 tsp for ricotta)
- 1.5 tsp Salt (1 tsp for sauce, 1/2 tsp for ricotta)
- 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Honey
- 1/4 cup Water, cold
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch (1 tbsp for sauce, 1 tbsp for ricotta)
- 30 oz Ricotta Cheese, whole milk
- 16 Slices Low-Moisture Mozzarella Cheese Assumes 4 slices per layer for 2 layers and 6 slices on top. Adjust as needed.
- 16 oz Lasagna Noodles, No-Boil
Instructions
Prep Ahead for your Homemade Lasagna
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Mince the garlic, chop the parsley, and measure out the fennel seed, salt, and pepper. Then add all to the ground chicken in a large mixing bowl. Mix to combine.
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Preheat a large pot or dutch oven on medium-high heat and add in a tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add the Chicken Sausage mixture and break it up. Let it search for a few minutes until it get really browned, then stir so that it cooks on all sides.
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Once fully cooked, add in the crushed, diced tomatoes, garlic, 1 tsp Italian Seasoning, honey, salt, and pepper. Make a cornstarch slurry by adding 1 tbsp of cornstarch to 1/4 cup cold water and mixing. Then stir it into the sauce and cook the sauce for another 5 minutes.
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Make a cornstarch slurry by adding 1 tbsp of cornstarch to 1/4 cup cold water and mixing. Then stir it into the sauce and cook the sauce for another 5 minutes.
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In a bowl, mix the ricotta with cornstarch 1 tsp Italian Seasoning and salt.
Assemble
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Layer 1 - Start by spooning a thin layer of the tomato sauce onto the bottom, just so the pasta sheets don’t stick to the bottom. Try not to get any lumpy sausage on the bottom layer. Then add the first layer of pasta.
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Layer 1 - Next add a layer of Ricotta followed by a layer of Italian Sausage sauce.
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Layer 2 - Add another layer of pasta sheets, ricotta, and sauce. This time, also add a layer of mozzarella slices.
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Layer 3 - Repeat! Pasta sheets, ricotta, sauce, mozzarella.
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Finally, top off the Lasagna with a final layer of pasta sheets, then Sauce, then completely cover with Mozzarella Slices.
Cook your Lasagna
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
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Cover the baking dish with an oven-safe cover or aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for 15 more minutes. Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
