I prepared this lasagna exactly as I did the first time around, the choice of hot Italian sausage being the only difference. Oh, and instead of simply whacking at the basil, I opted for a gross chiffonade, but that's neither here nor there. And instead of the majority of the organic basil package, I used the entire thing.
To save time and space, I'm going to give a quick photo play-by-play to show what happened. Click the link above to find the recipe.
The sauce.
The cheese mixture.
The lasagna assembled.
The lasagna baked while covered for 40 minutes at 375°F, and uncovered, before going back into the oven for an additional 20 minutes at 400°F.
Yep, the lasagna sauce leaked all over the oven and the stove-top, just like the first time. I'm thinking that next time, the diced tomatoes should certainly be drained to prevent this mess.
The lasagna flavor was a slight bit more spicy hot due to the hot Italian sausage, but it wasn't all that spicy hot. It seems the range from mild to hot on the Johnsonville scale is small. Nevertheless, the lasagna was good.
The only irritating thing about this recipe is how the excess juices bubble over while baking. If you choose to make this particular lasagna, I highly recommend a foil drip tray on the lower rack of the oven (and save it to keep under the pan when it's in the fridge as the dish will make a mess in there too) or draining the diced tomatoes preventing the mess altogether.
You know what? Just drain the diced tomatoes and save the hassle.
Cost is likely the same as last time, but for kicks:
- sausage: $3.99
- onion: $0.70
- garlic: $0.25
- tomatoes with puree: $1.29/28-oz can
- tomatoes, Italian style: $0.79/14-oz can
- fresh basil: $3.59
- ricotta: $4.49 (with some leftover)
- mozzarella: $3.49
- Parmesan: $2.79
- egg: $0.15
- lasagna noodles: $2.29 (with some leftover)
2 comments:
I always add basil to the dish regardless if I used beef, pork, sausage or seafood. This is especially true when I make a lasagna. It makes the dish more flavorful and invigorating. It also makes it presentable as well.
Dione, I am with you! I sometimes wonder if there's anything basil DOESN'T work with.
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