Easy Layered Lasagna Recipe {with Italian Chicken Sausage}
This Easy Homemade Italian Sausage Layered 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. It's healthier because it uses chicken vs. ground beef or pork. With each glorious layer, you get incredible flavor from the aromatic garlic and Italian herbs and seasonings. #Lasagnarecipes #lasagna #italiansausage #familydinner #casseroles #italianrecipes #pasta
Servings 6 servings
Calories 721kcal
Ingredients
Italian Sausage
- 16 ounces Ground chicken, White meat Ground turkey is fine too
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 3 Tablespoons Parsley Chopped
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seed
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Other Ingredients
- 28 ounces Crushed Tomatoes
- 28 ounces Diced Tomatoes
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (1 teaspoon for sauce, 1 teaspoon for ricotta)
- 1.5 teaspoon Salt (1 teaspoon for sauce, ½ teaspoon for ricotta)
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Honey
- ¼ cup Water, cold
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch (1 tablespoon for sauce, 1 tablespoon for ricotta)
- 30 ounces 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 ounces Lasagna Noodles, No-Boil
Instructions
Prep Ahead: Chicken and Sauce
- 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.
- Preheat a large pot or dutch oven on medium-high heat and add in a tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add the Chicken Sausage mixture and break it up. Let it sear 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, garlic, 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning, honey, salt, and pepper. Make a cornstarch slurry by adding 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to ¼ cup cold water and mixing. Then stir it into the sauce and cook the sauce for another 5 minutes.
- Make a cornstarch slurry by adding 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to ¼ cup cold water and mixing. Then stir it into the sauce and cook the sauce for another 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix the ricotta with cornstarch 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning and salt.
Prep-Ahead: Assemble
- 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.
- Layer 1 - Next add a layer of Ricotta followed by a layer of Italian Sausage sauce.
- Layer 2 - Add another layer of pasta sheets, ricotta, and sauce. This time, also add a layer of mozzarella slices.
- Layer 3 - Repeat! Pasta sheets, ricotta, sauce, mozzarella.
- Finally, top off the Lasagna with a final layer of pasta sheets, then Sauce, then completely cover with Mozzarella Slices.
Bake the Lasagna
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- 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.
Notes
- Can I Freeze This Chicken Lasagna? You can freeze your fully assembled lasagna either cooked or uncooked. If you freeze it uncooked, you will want to thaw it in the fridge for 24 hours before baking it. If it is fully thawed through to the center, simply bake according to the instructions. If you freeze it fully cooked, you should still thaw it in the fridge 24 hours ahead, but you could bake it in the oven at 350 F degrees for an hour from frozen state. Just test the center to see if it is warmed through in the center. If not, bake for another 10-15 and check again.
- Can I Use Ground Turkey Instead Of Chicken? I used ground white meat chicken in this recipe, but you could certainly used regular ground chicken, ground turkey, or even ground beef or ground pork. The cooking instructions will be the same for all of these options.
- Can I Use Cottage Cheese Instead Of Ricotta? You could use cottage cheese in this recipe in place of ricotta. If you do this, you want to use either small curd or blend the large curd in a food processor until smoother.
