If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed so you never miss out on a new recipe. Happy cooking!
Spicy Lasagna Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 16 oz. Jimmy Dean Premium Pork Hot Sausage
- 1 c. chopped onion
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 6 oz. tomato paste
- 16 oz. tomato sauce
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 2 c. fresh spinach
- 1/4 c. red wine
- 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 4 tsp. dried oregano
- 4 tsp. dried basil
- 3 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 package (12 pcs.) lasagna noodles
- 8 oz. reduced fat shredded mozzarella
- 15 oz. part skim ricotta
- 2 tbsp. Sriracha
Spicy Lasagna Preparation
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Chop the onion, mince the garlic and wash the spinach. I also like to open all of the cans ahead of time so everything is ready when I need it.
In a skillet, heat olive oil and sauté onions and garlic, being careful to not burn the garlic. Drain any excess olive oil and brown the sausage* in the pan with the onions and garlic. Add one tablespoon of Sriracha to the sausage as it is cooking to allow the flavor to cook into the meat.
While the sausage is cooking, put the tomato sauce, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, spinach, wine, red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons oregano, 2 teaspoons basil, a tablespoon of Sriracha and 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes in a large saucepan. Stir regularly over low heat. Cover this pan if you’d like as tomato tends to bubble and splatter, making a royal mess of your stove top. After the sauce is heated through and has simmered for a few minutes, drain the meat mixture, add it to the sauce and let simmer over low heat. The longer you let this mixture soak, the better the flavors will mix together making both the meat and the sauce even better. You can even make this part a day or two before you plan on having the lasagna if you want.
In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, 80% of the mozzarella and 2 teaspoons each basil, oregano, garlic powder, pepper, salt, onion powder and red pepper flakes.
Boil a large pot of water with a large pinch of salt. Place a few lasagna noodles at a time in the pan and allow to cook about half way. Lasagna noodles are easier to work with if they are still slightly stiff and they will soften more in the pan with the sauce and cheese after you put your lasagna together anyway. I like to put cookie cooling racks out with towels under them and lay my cooked lasagna noodles on the cooling rack while I cook the remaining noodles. This keeps them flat, prevents breakage and keeps them from sticking together.
Once all of your noodles are cooked, take a lasagna pan (13 x 9 glass baking pan or disposable aluminum pan) and spread some of the sauce along the bottom of the pan. Layer as follows: noodles, cheese, sauce, repeat until the pan is nearly full. You need to leave some room at the top or the sauce will boil over when you bake the lasagna. Top the lasagna with sauce to cover any exposed noodle surface so you don’t get crunchy, burned noodle edges (unless you like them). Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top of the top layer of sauce.
Bake the lasagna at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. Everything is already cooked so you just need to warm it through and allow the noodles to soften in the middle. Let the lasagna sit for 10 – 15 minutes after you remove it from the oven to set. Cut the noodles in 5 sections and run a knife along the two interior edges of the noodles to separate the pan into 15 pieces. Serve with the remaining red wine and some garlic bread for a complete meal.
*Tip: Use a whisk to break up the big hunk of meat as it’s cooking. This is faster and allows you to get bigger or smaller pieces depending on what you like. And it keeps your hands cleaner than breaking it up as you put it in the pan.
Makes: 15 pieces
Serving Size: 2 pieces
Nutritional Information Per Serving (does not include aforementioned wine and garlic bread)
- Calories: 582
- Fat Grams: 31
- Saturated Fat Grams: 11
- Carbohydrate Grams: 44
- Protein Grams: 31
- Fiber Grams: 6
- Weight Watchers Points: 13
Alternative Ingredients to Reduce Fat and Calories
Substitute fat free cottage cheese for the ricotta, fat free mozzarella for the low fat mozzarella and light pork sausage for the spicy pork sausage. You may also substitute whole grain noodles to add 2 grams of fiber per serving. This substitution is not accounted for in the information below.
Alternative Nutritional Information Per Serving
- Calories: 402
- Fat Grams: 14
- Saturated Fat Grams: 3
- Carbohydrate Grams: 44
- Protein Grams: 26
- Fiber Grams: 6
- Weight Watchers Points: 6