Lasagna-y Goodness

I never thought I would stray from my mother's lasagne. Although it is still very tasty in my book, I have discovered a new favorite. I cannot get enough of it, that is for sure. So, I wanted to share some mouth-watering pictures and recipe if you would like to try it.

INGREDIENTS:
½ YELLOW Bell PEPPER (sliced ¼” thick)
½ RED BELL PEPPER (sliced ¼” thick) (*I chop both *)
1 MEDIUM YELLOW ONION (sliced in 1/8” half moons)
½ pound sweet Italian sausage (removed from casing)
½ pound hot Italian sausage (removed from casing)
(*I don’t buy it in casing*)
Tip: sweet is hard to find. So, if I can’t find it, I just use regular ground sausage. Do not use something like maple just because maple is sweet. It doesn’t taste very good.
1 TBS olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (DO use this. It doesn’t make it too hot)
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (crushed is the key)
1 6 oz can tomato paste
16 lasagna noodles (cooked)
Large bag of baby spinach
Ricotta cheese (medium tub)
Mozzarella cheese (recipe says 10 oz - I use more)
Parmesan cheese, grated (recipe says 4 oz - I use more)
Sauté sausage in large skillet over medium heat until well browned. Remove sausage from pan and set aside.
Add the red & yellow peppers to the sausage fat, and sauté until softened (I cook it on almost high heat and get them browned a bit. It gives it a smoky flavor that is so good). Remove from pan and set aside.
Add onions to the remaining fat, adding olive oil if necessary. Sauté onions until soft. Remove from pan and set aside.
Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté until garlic is translucent (I can’t get it translucent - I just cook it until it turns a little brown)
Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and the reserved sausage. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spoon ½ cup tomato sauce into bottom of a 9x13 dish. Place a layer of lasagna noodles (4) on top of the sauce.
Spread half ricotta cheese on noodles, cover with most of spinach (I use ¾ bag)
Layer with 4 more lasagna noodles
Sprinkle pasta with mozzarella cheese & parmesan cheese
Cover with ½ meat sauce
Layer with 4 more lasagna noodles
Spread pasta with remaining ricotta cheese, cover with sautéed onion and peppers.
Layer with last 4 lasagna noodles
Cover noodles with remaining sauce
Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan and top with rest of spinach.
Bake 375 for 35-45 minutes until bubbly and brown
Place a slice on a plate with whatever else you are serving and take it to a lonely old person who lives alone. This is what I always do, and it is so appreciated.