Deconstructed Lasagna with Italian Sausage

All the flavour of a traditional lasagna, but in a fraction of the time! The lasagna noodles are broken into large pieces and cooked right in a creamy Italian sausage sauce. A comforting meal ready in under 30 minutes.

Lasagna reinvented in an express version: you break the noodles, toss them into boiling water, and you're done.


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5 min
4
15 min

  • Ingredients

    Salt, to taste (for the pasta cooking water)
    250 g (9 oz) lasagna noodles (broken into pieces of about 5 cm)
    2 tbsp olive oil
    450 g (1 lb) Italian pork sausages (mild or spicy), casings removed
    1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
    1 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated purée)
    125 ml (½ cup) dry white wine (or more chicken broth)
    250 ml (1 cup) chicken broth
    1 tbsp mixed Italian herbs (Italian seasoning)
    ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
    250 ml (1 cup) heavy cream (35%)
    50 g (½ cup) freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
    Coarse flaked salt, to taste
    Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Preparation

    1- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
    2- Break the lasagna noodles into irregular pieces of about 5 cm directly into the boiling water.
    3- Cook according to the package directions, until al dente.
    4- Reserve 250 ml (1 cup) of the cooking water, then drain.
    5- Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
    6- Add the sausage meat and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until well browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.
    7- Add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, until the tomato paste darkens slightly.
    8- Deglaze with the white wine and let it reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
    9- Add the chicken broth, Italian herbs and chili flakes (if desired). Let simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
    10- Stir in the cream and bring to a simmer. Add the drained pasta and the Parmesan. Mix well to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the reserved cooking water until you reach the desired consistency.
    11- Taste and adjust the seasoning with the flaked salt and pepper. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan.

For the adventurers

Notes and tips

For a veggie version, replace the sausages with chopped portobello mushrooms and use vegetable broth. For more vegetables, add a handful of fresh spinach at the very end of cooking.