Sausage Lasagna

Last week I had to make a dish that would reheat easily and last for a few days.  What better dish to feed a growing Italian boy than lasagna?  I'm not a huge fan of ground beef so I decided to substitute it with chicken sausage.  Using only the best mozzarella and ricotta by Polly-O, my lasagna was rated delicious even by the most unforgiving critic (me).  

(adapted from one of my favorite chef's: Giada De Laurentiis - Classic Italian Lasagna )

Ingredients

Bechamel Sauce:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons for the lasagna
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk at room temperature
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 1/2 Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Basil Marinara
• Salt and white pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 oz. Trader Joe's Sweet Italian Style Chicken Sausage  
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese (Polly-O)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 box of Barilla No Boil Lasagna (or 1 pound lasagna sheets, cooked al dente)
• 1 package (16 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella (Polly-O)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 10-15 basil leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bechamel sauce:
In a 2-quart pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and marinara sauce. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

In a saute pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the sausage and cook on medium heat for 4-5 mins on both sides.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  When cooled, cut in 1/2" thick pieces.

In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Into the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets and spread all the sausage on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the mozzarella cheese on top of the beef. Spread another 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella, Parmesan cheeses, and ripped pieces of basil. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top lasagna.

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place lasagna dish on top, cover with foil and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until top is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes.