EASY AND QUICK LASAGNE WITH SAUSAGE RAGÙ
Would you like to invite friends or relatives during the Christmas season to exchange gifts but the very idea of preparing a menu for more than 4 people terrifies you?
If you’re tired of spending most of your time in the kitchen while your guests are chatting, as they say in the film “Airplane!”: don’t panic!!!
In these cases the important thing is organization and finding recipes that can be prepared in advance.
I usually try to prepare many small appetizers like finger food that you can often make at the last minute and then I serve a first course, and of course finish with a nice dessert.
And what better dish than steaming, creamy and flavorful lasagne!
They have the advantage of being able to be prepared and even cooked in advance and then warmed up at the last moment.
And with my super quick sausage ragù you’ll make a great impression having spent at most half an hour.
Shall we try it together? One warning: make a ton because I assure you everyone will want seconds!!!!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Cooking time: 35 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients for lasagne with sausage ragù
- 7 oz Egg lasagna sheets
- 11 oz Sausage ragù
- 1 cup Béchamel
- 3.5 oz Parmigiano Reggiano PDO (grated)
- 1.1 lbs Sausage
- 1 Carrot
- 2 cups Tomato passata
- stalk Celery
- Half glass Red wine
- 1 Onion
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch Sugar
- to taste Salt
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
Preparation
Wash the vegetables, trim the ends of the carrot with a small knife and peel it with a vegetable peeler, then remove the fibrous outer membrane from the celery stalk. Finally peel the onion and cut it into quarters.
Put the vegetables in a food processor and chop. Now take the sausage, remove the casing and crumble it with your hands into a bowl. Prepare the soffritto by heating the extra virgin olive oil in a large pot. Then add the chopped onion, carrot and celery and sauté for 2–3 minutes being careful not to burn.
Add the sausage and brown for another 5 minutes. Add the red wine and let it evaporate. Finally pour in the tomato passata, the tomato paste, a pinch of sugar and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking over low heat until the sauce has slightly thickened (not too much because for lasagne it should be a bit looser than usual). Stir occasionally; it will take about 15 minutes.
While the ragù is cooking prepare the béchamel (read how to make a perfect béchamel here or if you really don’t feel like making it you can also buy it ready-made. In that case read the tips at the end of the recipe.
Now you are ready to assemble the lasagne with sausage ragù. Spread one tablespoon of béchamel on the bottom of a baking dish and lay the first layer of egg pasta on it (you do not need to precook it). Spoon 2–3 tbsp of ragù on top and spread it evenly over the surface. Then add 2 tbsp of béchamel and sprinkle with a little grated Parmigiano. Cover with more pasta sheets and continue until the ingredients are used up. Make as many layers as you prefer; I usually make at least 4. Finish with a generous sprinkling of grated cheese which will make the surface crispy. Bake for 30 minutes at 356°F. Before serving let them rest outside the oven for at least 10 minutes so they settle and hold together better.
STORAGE
Once ready they keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing them once cooked.
On the contrary, it is possible to freeze them raw, which is very useful if you have to prepare a dinner for many people. Obviously before cooking bring them back to room temperature.
TIPS AND VARIATIONS
For this recipe I used fresh egg pasta which does not require pre-cooking.
Alternatively you can also use dried lasagna sheets, which should be boiled for a few minutes in boiling water before being used and the result will still be excellent.
If you decide to buy ready-made béchamel, before using pour it into a small saucepan and thin it with 3 tbsp of milk (dose for each 1 cup of béchamel).
