Italian sausage and sage lasagna

Step 1/5

• ¼ fennel
• ¼ leek
• ¾ cloves garlic
• ¼ carrot
• 150 g Italian sausages

• cutting board
• knife

Finely chop fennel, leek, carrot, and garlic. Remove sausage meat from casings.

Step 2/5

• ⅜ tbsp olive oil
• ¾ tbsp tomato paste
• ¼ bay leaf
• 1¼ g sage leaves

• pot (large)
• wooden spoon

Add olive oil to a large pot. Fry sausage meat until water is released and it becomes a little crispy. Remove from the pot, add fennel, leek, and carrots and fry until very soft, approx 5 min. Add garlic and fry for another 5 min. Then add sausage meat back to the pan. Add tomato paste, bay leaf, and chili flakes, and fry for approx. 5 min. Add sprigs of sage to the pot, reserving the rest for the crispy topping, and plucking the leaves from the stem.

Step 3/5

• 50 ml red wine
• 87½ ml water
• 50 ml milk

Deglaze with red wine. Add water and milk. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer on low until reduced, approx 2 hrs.

Step 4/5

• 30 g unsalted butter
• 6¼ g sage leaves
• 15 g flour
• 200 ml milk
• ¼ strip lemon peel
• 30 g Parmesan cheese
• salt
• pepper

• pot
• frying pan
• whisk
• grater

Melt butter in a pan, fry remaining, plucked sage leaves until crispy and butter is brown, then remove sage with a slotted spoon and set aside. Transfer brown butter to a pot, then add flour and whisk well. Let cook for a few min., then add lemon peel and stream in remaining milk gradually, whisking vigorously. Season with a little salt and generous amount of pepper. Remove lemon peel. Grate Parmesan into the pot and stir well.

Step 5/5

• 125 g lasagna noodles
• olive oil (for greasing)
• Parmesan cheese (for serving)

• baking dish
• ladle
• oven

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Coat a baking dish with a little olive oil. Add a little béchamel to the bottom of the dish, then add a thin layer of the sauce, followed by a drizzle of béchamel over the top. Assemble lasagna layer by layer, trying to create as many layers as possible. Finish with a layer of lasagna sheets and a thicker coating of béchamel—be sure to reserve at least a large ladleful for this. Grate a little Parmesan over the top. Transfer to the oven and bake for approx. 45 min. at 180°C/356°F until browned on top. Once removed from the oven, scatter sage leaves on top immediately. Let sit for approx. 10 min. before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Enjoy your meal!