The Most Convenient Way to Make Lasagna, According to Martha Stewart

By Sara Cagle
© 2017 by Stephen Kent Johnson
© 2017 by Stephen Kent Johnson

You can always count on lasagna to be cheesy, bubbly, and perfect for potlucks and dinner parties. One way to make it better? A few hours in the slow cooker. A sausage-rich tomato sauce, textured with onions, garlic, and carrots, comes together quickly on the stovetop but is transformed in flavor when layered with pasta and mozzarella and finished in the slow cooker. Expect a wonderfully tasty, easy, and hearty dish you'll want to cook up for years to come, along with many more recipes of that nature in Martha Stewart's Slow Cooker ($18) from the editors at Martha Stewart Living.

© 2017 by Stephen Kent Johnson

Sausage Lasagna

Yield8 servings

From Martha Stewart's Slow Cooker by the editors of Martha Stewart Living

INGREDIENTS

    • 1 pound Italian pork sausage, casings removed
    • 1 pound ground beef sirloin
    • 1 onion, finely chopped
    • 2 carrots, finely chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
    • 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
    • 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree
    • 9 no-boil lasagna noodles
    • 2 cups coarsely grated part-skim mozzarella (8 ounces)

    INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Preheat a 5-to 6-quart slow cooker.

    2. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, cook sausage and beef over medium-high, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 4 to 6 minutes.

    3. Add onion, carrots, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion has softened, about 5 minutes.

    4. Stir in tomato paste, then tomatoes. Bring to a boil, and remove from heat.

    5. Spoon 2 cups meat sauce into the slow cooker. Layer 3 noodles (breaking them as needed to fit), 2 cups meat sauce, and 1/2 cup cheese; repeat with two more layers (refrigerate 1/2 cup cheese for topping). Cover and cook on low, 4 to 6 hours (or on high for 2 to 3 hours).

    6. Top lasagna with reserved cheese. Cover and cook on low until cheese has melted, about 10 minutes, before serving.

    Notes

    Don’t be tempted to use fresh mozzarella; supermarket varieties work better for this recipe.