Cowboy Lasagne
- 1 pound lean ground beef, chuck or round
- 1 pound sage-flavored sausage
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound sliced pepperoni
- 1 16-ounce can tomatoes, diced or stewed
- 1 12-ounce can tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 16 ounces lasagna noodles
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 16 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large, heavy skillet, lightly brown the ground beef, sausage, onion, and garlic in the oil. Be sure to keep the meat chunky, not finely separated, while cooking. Drain the meat. Add the pepperoni, tomatoes, tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, and oregano. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
- Cook and drain the lasagna noodles according to package directions.
- In a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan, spread 1 cup of the prepared sauce. Alternate layers of lasagna, sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses, ending with sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbling. Allow the dish to stand for 15 minutes before serving. Cut the lasagne into 3-inch squares and serve.
My notes:
- I used Sweet Italian sausage and eliminated the pepperoni altogether.
- I accidentally bought a 28-ounce can of tomatoes, which I used, so I reduced the amount of water by 1/2 cup.
- I allowed the sauce to simmer for a couple of hours rather than 30 minutes.
- I only used half a package of lasagna noodles (9 rather than 18).
- I brought the water to a boil and began cooking the noodles prior to preparing the sauce.
- I saved a little time by using some of the precooked sausage I had stashed in the freezer for our weekly pizzas.
- After draining the cooked noodles, I placed them on a large piece of aluminum foil to cool.
- I find it very easy to spread the ricotta cheese on the cooled noodles while they are still on the foil. The noodles stick to the foil nicely so they don't slide around while trying to smooth out the ricotta and yet are easily peeled away from the foil when ready to transfer them to the prepared dish as I'm ready to assemble the lasagne.
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