Sausage Lasagna with Pesto
Sausage lasagna with pesto is the ultimate comfort meal. I've created layers of basil pesto, ricotta, Italian sausage, beef, and red sauce to make the perfect lasagna recipe.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 644kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound spicy or sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 jars (24-ounce jars) marinara sauce
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta
- 1 cup basil pesto
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan
- 1 package (16-ounce package) lasagna noodles
- 1 pound mozzarella, grated (4 cups)
Instructions
- In a large, high-sided skillet, sauté pan, or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, combine the sausage, ground beef, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic, fennel seeds, and onion. Cook, breaking up meat into very small pieces, until meat is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the marinara sauce. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Heat oven to 375ºF. Cook lasagna noodles in very salty water according to package directions, drain, and lay flat on a plate.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, pesto, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and Parmesan.
- To assemble lasagna, spread ¾ cup of the meat sauce in the bottom of a large lasagna pan (9-by-13-inch deep dish). Add a single layer of noodles. Spread ⅓ of the ricotta mixture on the noodles and top with 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat by adding a layer (this time about 2 cups) of meat sauce, more noodles, another ⅓ of the ricotta, and another cup of the mozzarella. Repeat this process one more time, and then layer on remaining noodles and meat sauce, in that order. You will have 1 cup mozzarella left; set that aside to use at the end of the cooking time.
- Cover pan with foil and bake, until heated through and cheese is melted, about 45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 more minutes. Alternatively, broil a few minutes to melt the cheese and get a golden top.
- Remove lasagna and let rest 10 to 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition information is estimated using a calculation program. Numbers may not be exact depending on the brands of food you use.
Nutrition
Calories: 644kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 1094mg | Potassium: 373mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 872IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 360mg | Iron: 2mg
