Recipe: Turkey Lasagna

This recipe from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, has received rave reviews and is perfect for a family meal at home.

Yield: 8 servings

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1-1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 lb lasagna noodles

15 oz ricotta cheese

3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled

1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

1 lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large (10 to 12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish.

Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one 1/3 of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

Wine Pairing Recommendations

Louis Latour Chardonnay

Gnarly Head Zinfandel

Canaletto Montepulciano D’Abruzzo

Recipe: Barefoot Contessa, Foodnetwork.com

Photo: jeffreyw