Thursday, February 11, 2010

Spicy Sausage, Spinach Cheese Ravioli Lasagna

The Easiest Lasagna Ever Made!


This recipe has been adapted from one I saw in a magazine (can't remember which one). I was so intrigued by the concept that makes this lasagna. Using a minimum of ingredients and using them very smartly, this lasagna is so tasty and can be embellished to make it your own.

The most clever thing about this recipe is that frozen cheese ravioli is used in place of lasagna noodles and ricotta cheese mixture.I was a little skeptical at first, I don't like the taste of  "raw" noodles. But honestly, I could not taste even a hint of raw flavor. Go ahead, use the ravioli frozen.  Oh happy day! So much less work, absolutely all the taste.


Recipe:
1-1 1/2 lb italian turkey sausage, casing removed
1 TBS olive oil
1 box frozen spinach
1/2 cup pesto
1 jar very good pasta sauce
1 bag good mozzarella cheese
2 bags frozen cheese ravioli, again use the good kind.

In a large skillet  heat oil over medium heat. With casing removed, put turkey in pan and break up. Cook through. Set aside.

Thaw spinach in microwave. Put spinach in a smooth napped  kitchen towel and squeeze out all the liquid. Put in a small bowl. Add pesto, and stir to incorporate. Set aside.

Using a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with tall sides, layer the ingredients. Put 1/3 jar of tomato sauce in the bottom of baking dish and add 1/2 turkey. Place a layer of  frozen ravioli on top of turkey to cover. Make little rows.
Put 1/2  the spinach mixture on top of the ravioli. Sprinkle 1/3 bag of cheese. Place a layer of ravioli over the cheese and 1/3 pasta sauce over the ravioli.  Put the remainder of the sausage on top of the pasta sauce. Place another layer of ravioli. Put the remaining spinach mixture on top of the ravioli and 1/3 bag of cheese.
Put last row of ravioli on top. Cover with remaining pasta sauce and cheese.

Bake  for 1 hour. Check this. It should be steaming hot and cheese melted. I made mine in a 9 x 9 baking dish and the time might be a little diffferent.

Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Cut and serve.

Options:
There are so many interesting ways you could make this. Try all pesto, vodka sauce or alfredo sauce. How about adding pepperoni, or olives, fresh mozzarella, small meatballs etc. Diced chicken would make it very hardy. I like sliced hard boiled eggs in my lasagna. Adding broccoli instead of spinach would be another option. Recipes like this are very exciting to me. They are more a culinary formula that I can experiment with depending on my mood and what I have on hand.

This is really a wonderfully delicious and very easy lasagna. You can keep all the ingredients on hand and make it up in no time!


I am participating in Foodie Friday at Designs By Gollum. I find the best recipes, yummy  idea and nicest people there!


26 comments:

  1. Yvonne, your pictures make everything you post look amazing! I also remember seeing this (and I also don't remember where!), but I didn't have the forethought to copy it at the time. Thank you!! Have a wonderful Valentine's Day
    xoxo Pattie

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  2. What a neat idea to use raviolis. I'll have to give this a try sometime.

    :)
    ButterYum

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  3. This looks yummy, and I like how easy it is! Thanks for sharing it with us - Happy Foodie Friday!

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  4. Oh, my, my, my, my, my! That looks SO good, Yvonne! That's interesting about using the frozen cheese ravioli, and it sounds like it would be pretty delicious! Thanks for sharing...

    Happy Foodie Friday!

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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  5. Oh, this looks tasty. I love the addition of the turkey sausage and the frozen ravioli--just brilliant! I'm full of cupcakes but now I'm craving your lasagne.
    XX00

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  6. Sounds and looks WONDERFUL!!! and best of all EASY!!!

    Geri

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  7. This sounds so easy and it's an amazingly simple concept! Brilliant. Thank you so much for passing this one along...

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  8. thanks for stopping by my blog! i was just about to go to bed but decided to check yours out, and now i'm back up again, heading to the kitchen for a midnight snack- your post made me HUNGRY! that lasagna looks amazing! i'm such a sucker for anything cheesy :)

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  9. You had me drooling at spinach and cheese and easy! I bet ya can't guess what we are having for dinner tomorrow?! I am going to start making a cookbook with just your recipes in it! "Miss Yvonne's Yummy Ideas"! This looks absolutely delish!

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  10. "O my stars"...that looks delish and easy, I am going to copy/paste that recipe,hope you don't mind! I will be trying this next week!

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  11. This looks so delish. Mouth watering!

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  12. Good morning Yvonne, Your comment made me smile. My grandmother made the best rice pudding I have ever eaten and she made it in the oven. My cousin and I have tried to find her recipe( I doubt she had one) to no avail. One time we were looking at rice pudding in an antique cook book and made several to see if we could get that special flavor. Nope, nothing held a candle to Grandma's. HA!

    Your recipe sounds delicious. Just say spinach and I'm in! I will try this recipe after I go to the store for the fixin's.

    Have a fun foodie day.
    Hugs, Jeanne

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  13. Yvonne...we may have seem the same magazine. I have made lasagna with frozen raviolis. Your addition of the spicy sausage and spinach is wonderful. I love anything spinach :)

    Blessings!
    Gail

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  14. I love finding ways to make recipes easier but still have the same result in taste. Thanks for sharing this.

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  15. Yvonne, I think I just spent an hour browsing your blog. I am trying this receipe for sure and the taco cheese soup...Yumm. Your Valentine's tablescape is so elegant with the orchids and white and silver. Very unique china.
    I am looking forward to your napkin tutorial....I love napkin folding. You have a lot to offer and I will be back often. Thanks so much for visiting me and commenting. It meant a lot.

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  16. I love lasagna and ravioli is a great idea. Looks easy. I"m hungry right now..hehe

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  17. Yum...I love shortcuts as long they still taste good. This looks delicious. Thank you for sharing it.

    Sue

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  18. What a clever and delcicious idea! I can't wait to try this on my next Italian night.

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  19. I remember having this at a friend's house years ago and it was yummy! I never did get the recipe, so thank you for posting this today. I'm copying and printing right now!

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  20. Interesting idea. I'll have to keep it in mind.

    - The Tablescaper

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  21. Oh, I love this idea. I hate making lasagna and this looks 100 times easier and very tasty!

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  22. I'm going to make this. This is the kind of thing we love to make and eat. Thank you for sharing.

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  23. This is a great recipe. I had made it and it was so good that my boyfriend posted on his Facebook page that it was restaurant quality. As he would say he is a food connoisseur lol. He is italian and german descent. DJ

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