I have the best italian sausage recipie... my husband swears by it:
Sauce:
1lb Italian sausage (DON'T USE GROUND BEEF IT'S SUCH A FILLER AND IT'S BLAND, IT DOESN'T ADD ANY TRUE FLAVOR)
1 medium onion chopped
1 clove of garlic ( I usaully say more garlic but since you're on a date)
2 tbs parsley
1 tps basil
1 tps sugar
1 can (14.5 oz) Whole Tomatoes drained
1 can (15 oz) tomatoe sauce
1/2 tps cayanne pepper (optional, my hubby like's spicy food)
Ricotta filling:
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1/2 parmesan cheese
1 tbs parsley
1 1/2 tbs dried oregano
Assembly Ingredients:
8 uncooked lasagna noodles (I usually do the whole box just to be safe, besides noodles vary in sizeand if you don't use them all you can toss it, it's only like 88 cents and you can use the best noodles incase others break)
2 cups (8 oz) of shredded mozarella cheese ( you can always use more be flexible, cheese is good)
1/4 parmesan cheese
Kitchen Tools:
10 inch skillet
13 x 9 ince glass baking dish
Oven heated to 350 degrees
Sauce Preparation:
You can prepare the sauce a head of time to let the flavors set and also it will be easier to handle.
Plus you don't have to scurry to get the dish prepared before your date comes over.
Cook sausage & onion till sausages is no longer pink and onions have an opaque color, you can tell they are more tender but not too brown (this makes the onions sweet) then add the garlic.
Stir in Parsley, basil, sugar, tomatoes, and tomatoe sauce. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken.
Filling Preparation:
Combine Ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, oregano & parsley
Assemebly:
Spread 1/2 of sauce on baking dish, top with noodles (slightly layering each noodle side by side), spread 1/2 ricotta filling, sprinkle 1/2 of mozarella . Repeat layers and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Cover & bake 30 mins, uncover and bake 15 mins or until hot and bubbly. Let stand for 15 minuts before cutting.