Italian Venison Sausage Lasagna
2014-01-27 12:31:32
Serves 8
This recipe is DYNAMITE. No access to venison? Substitute ground Italian sausage - it still tastes great!
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
3 hr
Total Time
3 hr 30 min
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 pounds ground Italian venison sausage or ground Italian sausage
- 1 chopped onion
- 1 head of garlic, chopped (a head is the whole thing)
- 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
- 1 can of tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 15-ounce container of ricotta cheese
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg (or to taste)
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley leaves
- 12 lasagna noodles
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Make the Sauce. Brown the meat in a large Dutch oven. Take your time and do this in batches. It could take as long as 20 minutes. Put all the browned meat back in the pot and then add the chopped onions and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add seasonings – fennel seeds and pollen if using, oregano, basil — and mix well.
- Mix the wine and tomato paste and pour in the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often. Add the tomato sauce and can of crushed tomatoes and mix again. Bring to a simmer and cook slowly for 1 to 2 hours. This can be done as much as two days ahead of time.
- Prepare the lasagna. Soak the lasagna noodles in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Meanwhile, mix the parsley with the ricotta cheese in a bowl. Grate the Parmesan and shred the mozzarella. Grate 1/2 a nutmeg into the ricotta. If you can’t find whole nutmegs, use 1 teaspoon.
- To assemble, spread a good amount of the meat on the bottom of a standard 9-inch by 13-inch casserole pan. Remove the lasagna noodles and lay on the meat sauce. Spread half the ricotta cheese mixture on the noodles, then half the mozzarella cheese, then 1/2 the Parmesan.
- Add another layer of meat sauce — you will have one final layer after this — then the rest of the noodles. Add the remaining ricotta and mozzarella, plus 1/2 of the remaining Parmesan. Spread the remaining meat sauce on this, then sprinkle with the last bit of Parmesan.
- To cook, cover the lasagna with foil. You might want to spray the underside first with non-stick spray so the cheese doesn't stick to it. Bake covered for 25 minutes. Carefully take off the foil and bake for another 25 minutes.
- Let the lasagna rest for 10-15 minutes before serving with a strong red wine.
Adapted from Hunter Angler Gardner Cook
Adapted from Hunter Angler Gardner Cook
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