Chicken Italian Sausage and Vegetable Lasagna
Hello, I’m alive, just been away from the blog for a while. Busy busy with the new dental practice and trying to get my bearings with the transition. Hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s day. Hubby and I went to the sit down location of one of our favorite food trucks here in Seattle, El Camion. I was originally going to make lasagna for dinner at home, Hubby’s favorite, but with the crazy schedule, we decided to go out instead. We celebrated our Valentine’s on Saturday at another one of our favorite restaurants, Seastar, for the February Chef’s tasting menu. We eat out A LOT, way more than we should! But, even with all of this great food, I couldn’t let Valentine’s day go by without making Hubby’s favorite dinner and showing him how much I love and appreciate him, so on Sunday evening I got cooking. Hubby literally will eat lasagna for every meal until the whole pan is gone.
Chicken Italian Sausage and Vegetable Lasagna (with chicken Italian sausage and veggies)
This recipe can be adapted to whatever type of filling you desire-all meat, vegetarian, etc.
Ingredients:
- 9-12 sheets of no boil lasagna noodles, I use Trader Joe’s brand
- 2 cups steamed broccoli
- 1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch rounds, roasted in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 15-20 minutes
- 1 1/2 jars of marinara sauce (approximately 48 ounces)
- 6 ounces ricotta cheese
- 10 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 ounces shredded parmesan cheese
- 16 ounces chicken Italian sausage, removed from casings
1. Steam broccoli and roast eggplant, set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. While preheating, cook chicken Italian sausage through and transfer to a large pot with marinara sauce. Heat to warmed through.
3. Use a large 9×13 inch pan. Start with marinara sauce/chicken Italian sausage on the bottom of the pan, next layer the no boil noodles, followed by ricotta cheese (crumbled on top), and mozzarella. Add a layer of eggplant. Repeat sauce, noodles and cheese and then add a layer of the steamed broccoli. For the third layer, go back to the eggplant. Finish the last eggplant layer with sauce, mozzarella cheese and parmesan.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, for the last 15 minutes uncover and let the cheese brown slightly. Removed from oven after 45 minutes and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
No boil noodles from Trader Joe’s
Eggplant ready for roasting
First layer with eggplant
Second layer with steamed broccoli
Final layer, ready for the oven
Hot out of the oven
Lasagna for Hubby
One thing I also love about lasagna is that it makes great leftovers. Perfect for packing in lunches and having a hot meal after a long day at work when the last thing you want to do is cook. This is the last week that I’m working at both my new office and my associate dentist position, I’ll be happy to have some sanity and free time in my schedule again. I’m dying to get back into the kitchen, I promise not to leave you for so long. If you are still in cold weather mode, make this lasagna and warm up!
hopefulandhungry 
I’m a bit scared of eggplant, I don’t normally cook with it. I want to try though and this looks easy enough. Is there a pasta sauce that you like more than others?
Z doesn’t like eggplant either, but enjoyed this lasagna, the flavor of the eggplant is pretty mild. I used Classico Tomato Basil, I had it on hand, I think you can use whatever you like.
Picked up an eggplant today. SCARY!
Don’t be scared, but excited! 🙂
That looks amazing. Pretty sure I am drooling.
Thanks Kim. You should make this to have a nice warm meal with all of that snow you’re having!
I have NEVER made lasagna! but, I have eaten a lot of it! I love dinners with leftovers. Looks like a perfect treat for you guys.
You haven’t made lasagna, I don’t know who you are?! You should, it’s so easy and yummy!
Looks delish, minus the eggplant. 😦 Not an appetizing item for our taste-buds. But, the broccoli addition sounds delightful… As always, beautiful recipes Nikki! 🙂 Hope all’s well with you….
Bree
Hi Bree, I use shredded zucchini (shred in the food processor) a lot as well for lasagna. Taking some time off from treatments right now, feels nice for the time being. Hope you are feeling okay with all of those babies in there! 🙂
On Feb 23, 2013, at 9:09 PM, hopefulandhungry
I can understand completely…just know I’m definitely saying a prayer for you.. 🙂 I’m okay, just exhausted all the time. I wouldn’t change it for the world, but boy do I feel like a zombie! 😉 lol
Hi! I am new to your blog but I found this recipe a few days ago and it’s baking away in the oven as I type! It looked sooo good while I was making it, can’t wait to see how it turns out. I ended up using the full two jars of sauce (we splurged and got Rao’s, since this will be lasting us all week!) and a lot more ricotta and mozzarella but I tend to be pretty heavy handed where those things are concerned. 🙂 Even though I’m making this now, we have a party to go to tonight and will be away from home tomorrow night too so this won’t be consumed until Tuesday! But I figure the extra fridge time will only make it all the more delicious.
Thanks for checking out my blog. I hope you love the lasagna, we love to have it as leftovers! It’s such a nice hearty meal and will reheat perfectly. Enjoy!!!