8 servings; makes one 9-by-13 lasagna or two 8-inch squares
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage (may use links, but remove the casings)
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon granulated sugar, plus more as needed
10 to 12 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted and liquid squeezed out
8 ounces whole-milk ricotta
8 ounces fresh goat cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
12 no-boil lasagna noodles (from one 9-ounce package)
8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (may substitute whole-milk mozzarella)
1/2 cup (1 ounce) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
In a large Dutch oven, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the sausage and, using a spatula, break into larger bite-size clumps (or smaller, if you prefer) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned with no trace of pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat to a plate, leaving behind any fat in the pot.
If the pot is dry, add at least 1 more tablespoon of oil, then add the garlic, stirring until golden and fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and salt (you may wish to turn down the heat before adding the tomatoes to cut down on sputtering). Increase the heat as needed until the mixture is barely bubbling. Partially cover the pot (it tends to splatter, so just a little bit of open space will do). Cook the sauce until thickened and reduced slightly, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a gentle bubbling. Stir in the sugar, taste, and add a little more, if desired. You can add more salt to taste as well. Stir the cooked sausage into the sauce.
While the sauce simmers, in a large bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta, goat cheese, basil, oregano and a few grinds of black pepper. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed with salt and pepper. Stir in the egg until thoroughly combined.
Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. If you want to brown the top under the broiler, place a rack in the upper third of the oven as well. Have a 9-by-13-inch baking dish at hand. (Don't use Pyrex or other glass, if you want to leave open the option to broil.)
Spread 1 1/2 cups of the sauce evenly over the bottom of the baking dish, then arrange 4 of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce (the long sides of the noodles should be parallel to the short sides of the dish), slightly overlapping to ensure they all fit. Add 1 2/3 cups sauce and then half of the ricotta mixture. Dollop the ricotta mixture in 8 or 9 mounds around the dish. The heat of the sauce will soften it, and then using the back of a spoon or offset spatula, spread it as evenly as possible. Add another 4 noodles, repeating with another 1 2/3 cups of sauce and the remaining ricotta mixture. Layer on the remaining 4 noodles and 1 2/3 cups of sauce, followed by the mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Lightly coat the underside of a piece of aluminum foil with nonstick spray and cover the assembled lasagna. (At this point, the dish can be refrigerated and baked the next day.)
Bake, covered with the foil, for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. If you want additional browning or crispy edges, turn the oven broiler on, move the dish to the upper-middle rack and broil for 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown and crisp in spots.
Let the lasagna cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
VARIATION: This recipe is easily divided in half to create two 8-inch pans. Follow the same pattern of layering the sauce, pasta and cheese, but use 2 lasagna noodles in each of 3 layers for a total of 6 noodles per tray. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, uncovered for at least the last 15 minutes, then broiling as above, if desired.
Calories per serving: 550