Bolognese & Arugula Lasagna

Bolognese & Arugula Lasagna
Pair with Diamond Collection Merlot

Ingredients:

• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 mild Italian pork sausages
• 1 lb organic 85% lean ground beef
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, roughly chopped
• 2 28 oz cans Italian peeled tomatoes, finely chopped with juices reserved
• 1 28 oz can tomato puree
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 15 oz cartons whole milk ricotta
• 1 egg
• 2 cups grated mozzarella
• 1 cup grated quality aged parmesan
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 3 handfuls baby arugula
• 1 heaping handful fresh basil, roughly torn
• 12 no-boil lasagna sheets
• 1/2 cup asiago

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 F and gather a 9” x 13” or 10” x 10” casserole dish.

Add 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil and the minced onions to a large 10” sauté pan over medium-low heat. Sauté the onions for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are translucent and golden.

While the onions are cooking, prep the sausages by lightly scoring down the center of each sausage to remove the casing. Discard the casing and remove the sausage meat into a small bowl.

Once the onions are soft, over medium-high heat add the sausage and ground beef to the pan. Gently break up the meat with the back of the spoon and continue to cook until the meat is no longer pink.

Add 3 minced garlic cloves and oregano to the pan and cook until it becomes fragrant.

Continue to add the tomatoes and tomato paste to the pan, gently stirring until the meat is well incorporated. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and bring the sauce to a simmer over moderate heat. Stir occasionally until it begins to thicken up, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile prepare the cheese filling by combining the ricotta, egg, 1 cup of mozzarella, 1/2 cup parmesan, the remaining garlic, black pepper, and nutmeg.

Once the sauce has thickened, begin to assemble the lasagna by adding roughly one third of the sauce to the base of the casserole dish, spreading it evenly over the bottom.

Layer 4 lasagna sheets on top of the sauce. If using a square baking dish, simply trim the noodles to fit in the remaining space.

Continue to add roughly 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, spreading it over evenly with a rubber spatula.

Continue to add another third of the sauce on top of the ricotta cheese.

Add one large handful of arugula and a heaping tablespoon of basil over the sauce.

Top the layer with 4 lasagna sheets and continue to assemble in the same manner until there are 3 layers total.

On the top final layer, add the last third of sauce and sprinkle the remaining cup of mozzarella, parmesan, and asiago.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until the filling begins to bubble around the sides and the top is golden and crisp. Tent the top halfway through baking with aluminum foil to prevent the cheese from over browning.

Allow the lasagna to rest for at least 15-20 minutes before serving.