Red Pepper Lasagna
From: Delores Auerback
4 medium red sweet peppers, or two 7 ounce jars roasted red sweet peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup snipped fresh basil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces sweet or hot bulk Italian sausage, browned and drained
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
1 1/4 cups finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Fresh tomato wedges
Fresh herb sprigs
For red pepper sauce:
Halve sweet peppers; remove stems, seeds, and membranes.
Place peppers, cut side down, on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake in a 425 F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until skin is bubbly and browned. Wrap peppers in foil; let stand 20 to 30 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Peel skins from peppers. Cut peppers into thin strips. (Or, if using bottled roasted red peppers, drain and cut into thin strips.) In a large saucepan cook pepper strips in hot olive oil over medium heat 1 minute. Stir in undrained tomatoes, basil, garlic, black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring often. Cool. Stir in cooked sausage.
For bechamel sauce:
In a medium saucepan melt butter. Stir in flour, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Set aside to cool.
To assemble:
Grease the bottom of a 3 quart rectangular baking dish. Cover bottom of dish with 3 lasagna noodles. Spread about 1 cup of the red pepper sauce over the pasta. Top with 3/4 cup of the bechamel sauce, spreading evenly; sprinkle with about 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Repeat for 3 more layers with the remaining pasta, red pepper sauce, bechamel sauce, and Parmesan. Be sure the top layer of noodles are completely covered in sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
Bake, uncovered, in a 350 F oven 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbly and light brown on top. Let stand 20 minutes. Garnish with tomato wedges and herb sprigs.
Makes: 8 servings