Lasagna

I think this second picture proves my theory that everyone loves lasagna!  After serving chili to Ezra a couple weeks ago I was smart enough to take his shirt off before tonight's dinner.

This recipe is a collaboration between my mom and a good family friend.  It is one of my absolute favorite recipes!  Comfort food at its best.  What makes this lasagna different than traditional recipes is that it has sour cream rather than ricotta.  It sounds weird, but please give it a try!  It gives it a creamy tang and doesn't taste weird at all, I promise!

Lasagna
From Joanna Knox and Nancy Craddock

1 pound hot sausage
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
water
salt
pepper
Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
lasagna noodles
sour cream (I always use low fat)
mozzarella cheese, grated

Brown the sausage and onion and drain off the grease.  Transfer to a large sauce pan.  Add garlic, tomato sauce and paste, sugar, basil and oregano.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add some water.  The amount you add depends on how thick/thin you like your sauce.  I fill up the tomato sauce can about 1/2 way and add that (about 1 cup).  Allow sauce to simmer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.  Before putting all ingredients together add 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese to sauce and stir to combine.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain hot water, return to pot and cover with cold water so noodles won't stick while you layer the ingredients.

Spray pan with cooking spray.  Add a layer of noodles and cover with half the sauce.  Drop small dollops of sour cream over sauce.  Add mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.  Repeat all layers.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how browned you like the cheese to be.

Notes:
1. I prefer Bob Owens sausage.  It is spicier than Jimmy Dean.
2. This recipe makes enough sauce for 1 9x13" pan or 2 8x8" pans.
3. You can prepare the lasagna up to the point of baking and freeze it unbaked to be thawed and baked later.  However, when I have done this it turns out a little watery.  If I'm not baking it right away I prefer to freeze the sauce and assemble the lasagna before baking.