Sausage and Sage Lasagna

I was looking for a way to create a new lasagna that focuses on sausage and sage, two flavors that I love together. I needed something to keep the filling from getting too dry but I didn’t want to make it too saucy either. I decided to add two chopped fresh tomatoes and that worked perfectly. I also didn’t want to use a traditional béchamel sauce; a milk-based sauce just didn’t appeal to me here. So I made a velouté, which is just like a béchamel except it uses stock (in this case, chicken stock) instead of milk. I was very happy with the results and this new lasagna has been added to my growing lasagna repertoire.

Sausage and Sage Lasagna (one 9” x 13” lasagna)

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 10-12 sage leaves, chopped
• 1 ½ lbs. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1 ¼ cups chicken stock
• ¾ lb. mozzarella cheese
• Lasagna noodles

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add half the sage and the sausage and sauté until the sausage begins to brown. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is cooked and the tomatoes have release their juices.
2. To make the sauce, melt 3 tbsp. of butter in a small saucepan. Add the rest of the sage and stir until it flavors the butter, about 1 minute. Add the flour and whisk together. Cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and whisk to ensure no lumps form. Heat the sauce, whisking occasionally, until it thickens.
3. Spread 1/3 of the sausage mixture into a 9” x 13” baking dish. Cover with uncooked lasagna. Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the noodles. Place 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese on the lasagna.
4. Repeat the process two more times.
5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake, uncovered, for another 10-15 minutes until the top is golden brown.