This week Sunday Supper is moving northwest from Greece across the Mediterranean Sea to Italy to share Italian recipes. Our host Manuela of Manu’s Menu is Italian but she lives in Australia, serving up authentic Italian dishes from her childhood in Milan. I love that our Sunday Supper family is so diverse and far-flung. This is a worldwide movement, for sure! Italian food outside of Italy is often “distorted” from the original, says Manuela, and she is so right. Read on to see how I’ve changed up lasagna so most Italian mammas wouldn’t recognize it. It’s still delicious though!
Growing up, my older sister and I took turns cooking dinner when my mom went back to work. One of my favorites was the Hamburger Helper with that pasta that looks like lasagna noodles but way skinnier. When my younger sister got old enough to cook too, she often made real lasagna. It was sort of her specialty and I guess it still is.
You really can’t compare Hamburger Helper to real lasagna but I’m going to dare to compare the real stuff with one cooked in a slow cooker. I must confess that it doesn’t look as pretty as a neatly cut square of an oven-baked casserole and the crispy bits around the edges that we all fight over are missing. But all in all, with a huge plus for ease of assembly and hands-off time, it’s quite delicious, especially when made with spicy Italian sausage meat.
Ingredients
2.2 lbs or 1kg spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
4 cups or 360g grated mozzarella cheese.
2 cups or 500g ricotta
12 sheets (about 8 oz or 225g) uncooked lasagna noodles
6 cups or 1475g spaghetti sauce (your favorite)
To serve: freshly grated Parmesan and sprigs of parsley, if desired
Method
Pan fry and drain your sausage meat, breaking it into crumbles. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little while.
Put about 1 cup or 240ml of sauce in the bottom of your slow cooker. Layer in 3-4 lasagna noodles, breaking off the corners so they sit nicely in your slow cooker. Put the little broken pieces in any gaps.
Mix the ricotta cheese in with the crumbled sausage meat.
Add one half of the meat/ricotta to the top of the noodles.
Then sprinkled on one third of the shredded cheese and add another cup or so of the sauce to the top.
Repeat the process starting with another layer of noodles. Finish with noodles then sauce. You should have one third of the mozzarella left. Put it in the refrigerator for later.
Cook for six hours on low.
After about five hours.
About 1 hour before serving, add the reserved shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover and cook until melted.
To serve, try to scoop up a good cross section of the lasagna through all the layers.
Top with fresh grated Parmesan, if desired. That’s non-negotiable in our house. A little parsley adds color as well.
Enjoy!
Are you looking for an Italian feast? You’ve come to the right place!
Appetizers
- Cacio e Uova Meatless Recipe from She Loves Biscotti
- Gnocchi alla Romana from Tramplingrose
- Italian Rice Balls from My World Simplified
- Rosemary Focaccia from Curious Cuisiniere
- Tomato Caprese with Burrata from Casa de Crews Beverages
Drinks
- Bicerin (Italian Coffee) from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Easy Limoncello from Our Good Life
- Liquore all’Alloro from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Sgroppino (Frothy Italian Sorbetto Cocktail) from The Wimpy Vegetarian Mains
- Asparagus and lemon risotto from Un Assaggio of Food, Wine & Marriage
- Braised Italian-Style Beef Short Ribs from Hardly A Goddess
- Bruschetta Chicken from Meal Planning Magic
- Bucatini with Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce from The TipToe Fairy
- Orechietti with Broccoli Rabe and Shrimp from Delaware Girl Eats
- Cheesy Gnocchi and Sausage Bake from Confessions of a Cooking Diva
- Classic Vodka Sauce from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Eggplant Parmesan from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
- Fast Faux-Baked Ziti from Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
- Florentine Pizza from A Mind Full Mom
- Green and Yellow Artichoke Tortellini with Mushrooms, Pancetta and Spring Peas with White Wine Reduction from Crazy Foodie Stunts
- Grilled Chicken Pesto Panini from Eat, Drink and be Tracy
- Mushroom Bolognese Pasta Recipe from Life Tastes Good
- Parma Rosa Baked Ziti from Palatable Pastime
- Pasta Con Sarde a Mare – Pasta with Sardines at Sea from Caroline’s Cooking
- Pasta e Fagioli from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Penne with Sausage in Creamy Boursin Cheese Recipe from Feeding Big and more
- Pesce all’Aqua Pazza from Monica’s Table
- Polenta-Crusted Italian Sausage Pies from Wholistic Woman
- Pumpkin Agnolotti from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
- Shrimp Fra Diavolo from Grumpy’s Honeybunch
- Slow Cooker Lasagna from Food Lust People Love
- Stuffed Ravioli in Alfredo Sauce from The Freshman Cook
- Tuscan Kale Pesto Risotto from Cooking Chat
- Tuscan Porterhouse with Balsamic-Rosemary Steak Sauce and Seared Radicchio from The Texan New Yorker
- Tuscan Style Chicken Breasts from Simple and Savory
- Zuppa Toscana from Momma’s Meals Dessert
- Italian Berries, Mascarpone and Marsala Budini from La Bella Vita Cucina
- Berry Tiramisu from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Cannoli Poke Cake from Moore or Less Cooking
- Cherry Walnut Biscotti from Pies and Plots
- Chocolate Tiramisu from Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
- Fiordilatte Gelato from Manu’s Menu
- Italian Cream Cheesecake from The Crumby Cupcake
- Lemoncello Tiramisu from The Redhead Baker
- Limoncello Cookies from Cosmopolitan Cornbread
- Orange and Almond Ricotta Cheesecake from Pine Needles In My Salad
- Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries from The Chef Next Door
- Salame al Cioccolato (Chocolate Salami) from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Strawberry Panna Cotta from From Gate to Plate
- Tiramisu Semifreddo from Tara’s Multicultural Table
- Wine and Cheese Chocolate Muffins from What Smells So Good?
- Zabaglione Gelato from Magnolia Days
Pin this Slow Cooker Lasagna!
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This is a winner Stacy!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a winner Stacy!!!
ReplyDelete