Easy, Cheesy Sausage Lasagna

There’s no such thing as an all-encompassing “best lasagna recipe.” Sometimes only a full-on cooking project with layers of creamy béchamel and Bolognese will do. Or, you may crave the rich comfort only a good homemade lasagna can bring, but prefer to keep it meat-free. And then there are the nights you want a version like this: An easy crowd-pleasing lasagna with layers of no-boil noodles, a luscious ricotta cheese mixture, and a streamlined meat sauce that comes to the table bubbling and burnished in a casserole dish big enough to feed a crowd.

While many lasagna recipes call for adding an assortment of meats (like ground beef, pork, or veal, among others), this one simplifies the sauce, using just fennel-scented spicy Italian sausage. Feel free to swap in sweet Italian sausage if you prefer, or an Italian American–style turkey sausage if you don’t eat pork. The other secret is adding a can of tomatoes with peppers and onions, creating a flavorful, meaty tomato sauce with minimal prep time. As for the cheese mixture, there are no shortcuts: Grating fresh mozzarella and a block of Parmesan on the coarse side of a box grater takes more effort than grabbing preshredded versions at the grocery store but makes a world of difference in flavor and texture.

Serve your lasagna with a loaf of garlic bread and a bottle of red wine. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container and will reheat beautifully.