Turkey Sausage Lasagna

One of my 11 year old sons favourite jokes:

What did one country say to the other country?

Hey Turkey, I'm Hungary.

I guess you had to be there.



Turkey Sausage Lasagna
from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Family Style
Serves 8

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
500g turkey sausage, casings removed
1x 400g can chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Sea salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
250g lasagna noodles
200g creme fraiche
80g creamy goat cheese (or ricotta if you prefer), crumbled
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
200g fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.

Heat the olive oil  in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.

Combine the creme fraiche, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a large baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the creme fraiche, and one third of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, creme fraiche, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.