Pasta and Sausage Bake Or A Turn To Lazagna

This blog in no less inspired and dedicated to the many stay at home dudes who's wives want dinner and an income.  Stay tuned as I share a peak into my pantry and offer up the week’s heated venue.

I have access to a test kitchen, have my own Baklava selling at a couple restaurants, process and can my own fruits and vegies and created and will soon market a BBQ sauce that rivals Baby Ray’s!

This week I simplified an Italian favorite.One day dinner, two days later left overs.

PASTA AND SAUSAGE BAKE

2 boxes Penne Pasta

(add Olive Oil to the dry pasta in the box as this helps it from sticking when you add it to the hot water.)

When water starts to boil, add 2T salt to increase boil temp to 175 degrees then add oil'd pasta.

2 lbs of ground Italian Sausage (1lb mild, 1lb spicy or hot)

3 chopped Italian tomatoes

3 cloves chopped garlic

1c Fresh italian parsley

1c Mozzarella

Pinch of salt and pepper

…Whilst the Penne cooked, I browned the links and set aside. Then I browned the ground sausage, added the garlic and spices and threw in the tomatoes. When the Penne was al dente*, I added it to the sauce, and simmered with the lead on for ½ hour. Then I dumped the mix in a roaster, stir in about 1 cup of parmesan cheese, topped with grilled links and baked for 45 minutes. DONE!

TO TURN THIS INTO LAZAGNA...

Change out the penne with lasagna noodles and cook al dente. Additional ingredients needed include, Parmesan, Ricotta, eggs, quart of your favorite pasta sauce.

In a bowl, hand churn together the following:

3 c Mozzarella (only add 1c to the bow reserving 2c for layering)

1 pint Parmesan

1 pint Ricotta

3 eggs

Saute the meats from above and set aside.

In a Lazagna dish, place a couple large spoonfulls of pasta sauce.
Add 1 layer of Lazagna noodles
Spoon over pasta 1/2 the meat mixture 
Add 1/2 cheese/egg mixture
Add 1/3 the jar of pasta sauce

Add another layer of Lazagna noodles
Add remaining meat mixture
Add remaining cheese/egg mixture
Add 1/3 pasta sauce

Add top layer of pasta
Top with remaining 1/3 pasta sauce
Top with 2 cups Mozarella

* (Al DENTE: Describes pasta that has been cooked so as to be firm but not hard. Keeping the pasta firm is especially important in baked or "al forno" pasta dishes.)  Thanks Thomas!

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So there it is on this day January 14, 2011.  CM-SDH-Wayne