Directions

• Prepare Sauce

1Cook the sausage: If the sausage is in link form, remove the casings by cutting a slit down each sausage, pulling the casing away from the meat. Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet with tall sides (or Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add the sausage meat to the pan, and then use a wooden spoon to break the meat apart. Cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a plate.

2Cook veggies: Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt, then cook for one minute.

3Make the sauce: Add the roasted red peppers, crushed tomatoes, and cooked sausage. Bring to a low simmer and cook until the liquid has thickened and reduced by one third, about 10 minutes. Add the basil and season to taste with additional salt and pepper (we end up adding ½ to 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt).

4Make ahead: Proceed with making the lasagna or transfer the sauce to a glass container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

• Make Lasagna

1Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly oil a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2Prepare noodles: If using no-boil or fresh noodles, there is no need to cook them. For regular/classic noodles, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. (We add a couple of teaspoons of olive oil to the water so the noodles do not stick together.) Drain, then lay flat on a sheet of aluminum foil.

3Make cheese mixture: Add the ricotta cheese to a medium bowl, and then taste it for seasoning. If it seems underseasoned, add a pinch of salt. Stir in the eggs and a pinch of fresh ground black pepper.

4Assemble lasagna: Spoon just enough meat sauce into the baking dish to lightly cover the bottom (about 1 cup). Arrange three to four noodles lengthwise, side by side, to cover the bottom of the dish. If the noodles don’t reach the edge, cut an extra noodle to fill any gaps.

5Spread about half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, then sprinkle with one-third of the Parmesan and one-third of the mozzarella. Top with one-third of the meat sauce.

6Add another layer of noodles and repeat with the remaining ricotta mixture, cheese, and sauce. Finish with a final layer of noodles, then top with the remaining sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella.

7Bake: Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover, then bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the cheese is crusty around the edges. For a golden brown top, broil for 1 to 2 minutes. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.