Kitchen Sink Lasagna

My fellow Lion Curt Kimmel wanted me to try his lasagna recipe, and honestly, I was really curious when he rattled off the ingredients -  one of them being “A Kick In A Glass,” a spicy/sweet tomato wine from Wagonhouse Winery in New Jersey, I knew this was not going to be an ordinary pan of lasagna.

Now, I’ve cooked with red wine before. But tomato wine with cayenne pepper? That felt less Italian and more a South Jersey Cinco de Mayo party.

Thank you Curt, for this recipe, but also for introducing me to this quirky little winery that’s part library, part charcuterie bar and part neighborhood spot. You won’t find a sommelier here, nor will you find expensive wines – just a bunch of folks having fun with the wines named “Make Me Blush” and “Fallen Quaker.”

I changed nothing in this recipe, but I did have fresh herbs which I used in place of the dried.

Curt’s “Kitchen Sink” Lasagna

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 lb Italian sausage, sliced into pieces

1 box of No-Boil Lasagna Noodles

1/2 lb ground turkey

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 stick pepperoni (or a bag already sliced)

2 cups Ricotta Cheese

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup “Kick in a Glass” red wine (Wagonhouse Winery, NJ)

2 Tbsp parsley flakes

1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

dash of black pepper

1 15 oz can of tomato sauce

1 6 oz can of tomato paste

1 15 1/2 oz jar of your favorite spaghetti or marinara sauce

1 lb of shredded mozzarella cheese

1 lb of shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Sugar (to taste)

Italian seasoning (oregano, basil) to taste

METHOD

Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and red wine to a crock pot on high setting. Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning to taste. Add the sugar (1/4 cup, more or less for taste). Stir together.

While the sauce is heating up, brown the ground turkey in a skillet along with the garlic. Drain off excess fat. Add to the sauce. In the same skillet, cook the Italian sausage until browned. Use a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel to absorb the fat. Place the sausage in the crock pot. Cook on high for a hour or so if you are in a hurry or let it cook on low for several hours. Curt says he always lets it cook on low for about four or five hours.

Preheat your oven to 350.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, Ricotta Cheese, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper. Blend well.

In a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish, just cover the bottom with a layer of sauce from the Spaghetti/Marinara sauce. Arrange layers of the No-Bake Lasagna noodles to cover the bottom. Take half of the Ricotta Cheese mixture and spread it onto the lasagna noodles making sure everything is covered.

Now, spoon the meat sauce mixture on top of the Ricotta Cheese. Next, layer the pepperoni slices on top of the meat sauce. Sprinkle the two shredded cheeses onto the pepperoni. Arrange the lasagna noodles on top and repeat the steps until you have a layer of lasagna noodles on top. Cover the noodles with your Spaghetti/Marinara sauce and sprinkle the shredded cheese on top.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let it stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 9 people.

The spicy tomato wine deepens the sauce in a way regular wine really doesn’t. It gives the whole dish this tomato-rich, slightly smoky backbone that makes people pause mid-bite and say, “Wait…what IS that?”

Which, honestly, is the best possible compliment.

This is hearty, slightly chaotic comfort food in the very best way. This recipe makes a huge tray and I’ve enlisted family and friends to come get some. Most of them only wanted “a tiny piece.” Before returning for thirds.