Lasagna

with Italian Sheep Ricotta and Homemade Italian Turkey Sausage

gluten-free, cow dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, sugar-free, nut-free, pork-free

It is about time. Lasagna time. I’ve waited long enough to find Tinkyada Lasagne Pasta and Italian Sheep Ricotta simultaneously in my local grocery store. It has not been easy. In fact, it has been nearly unbearable.

You see, I am Italian. So, lasagna is my prey according to the laws of Nature. It’s all part of the food chain. I am playing my role in the ecosystem. Really. I honestly believe my body needs pasta as part of a healthy, balanced diet. It’s kind of like the whole “Eat Right for Your Blood Type” philosophy. Blood type O? Your body is healthiest when your diet is cavemanly carnivorous. Italian? Your body is healthiest when your diet is Pavarotti-ly pasta-vorous. It’s science.

So when the weekly pangs for pasta hit me last night, I decided to go for the jugular. The pasta jugular… Like, marinara would just be a limb because it’s just about the sauce…. but lasagna is the jugular because it’s sauce and meat and ricotta… is this metaphor still making sense (did it ever?)? Well, it’s doing it for me. Except “going for the pasta jugular” just made me think of a piece of lasagna shaped like a person and me as a vampire at its neck. This gives the predator/prey metaphor a whole new angle: vampires. Because that’s exactly what it needs. Because we definitely don’t have enough vampire in American culture and entertainment right now.

Wow. This post is excellent. Almost as excellent as this lasagna was last night. This might look like a lot of work. Do not be intimidated – it really isn’t. And it is COMPLETELY worth it. This is one of the best meals I’ve had in years.

Lasagna

1 box Tinkyada Organic Brown Rice Lasagna

1 – 1/2 lbs Italian Turkey Sausage (see homemade recipe below)

1 28 oz can La Valle Whole Italian Plum Peeled Tomatoes

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 Vidalia onion, diced

1 1/2 tsp salt

8 oz Italian sheep ricotta

3-4 Tbsp grated Locatelli pecorino romano

1 Tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley

NOTE: Cow cheese has harmful enzymes in it which are exceptionally hard on the human digestive system. Sheep/Goat cheese lack this enzyme, allowing people like me to still enjoy them without any consequences. Personally, I do not count sheep/goat cheese among the evils of dairy. It’s up to you to decide what is right for you!

1. Cut off stem ends of tomatoes, place in blender with all the juice as well. Blend till frothy. Set aside.

2. Heat olive oil over low heat in large pan. Add onions when oil is hot. Sauté 2 minutes then add garlic. Sauté till onions are transparent and garlic is golden.

3. Pour blended tomatoes into pan with onions and garlic. Turn to med or med/high heat. Add salt and stir.

4. Add homemade turkey sausage and stir. Let sauce boil for 25 minutes. Cover partially and add water if sauce gets too thick.

5. Meanwhile, boil lasagna pasta. This can be done in the traditional way, or the pasta can be placed in a 9 x 13″ pyrex dish with boiling water and covered for about 20 minutes. This keeps the pasta intact better. Add more boiling water halfway through if necessary.

6. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 2 Tbsp of the Locatelli, and the parsley. Set aside.

7. Once pasta is done, drain.

8. Once sauce is done cooking, turn the heat off. Place sauce in Vita Mix or blender and blend on a medium speed for a few seconds. I do this to ground the sausage a little more finely – like a Bolognese – so that it will spread more easily.

9. Begin assembling the lasagna. Spread thin layer of sauce on bottom of 9 x 13″ pyrex dish. Place 4 lasagna noodles side by side on the bottom. Spoon about 1/3 of the sauce onto the noodles. Evenly spoon about 1/2 of the ricotta mixture. Repeat. Finish the assembly with a final layer of noodles and sauce. Sprinkle remaining Locatelli cheese on top.