Ravioli lasagna with sausage and mushrooms: Feed a crowd

I make killer lasagna. I can say that, because that’s what I’ve been told. I don’t use a recipe, yet somehow it always comes out delicious: robust meat sauce, savoury spices, and copious amounts of melted cheese. It’s the meal I always make for a large crowd, because with a salad and some garlic bread you’re all set. The only downside to my famous lasagna is the time it takes…and the assembly skills (on that note, why don’t fresh lasagna noodles come in 9x13 sized sheets?). So when I had a large group to feed and no time, I turned to Chatelaine’s Holiday 100+ best recipes to look for a meal for many. Voila – Ravioli lasagna with sausage and mushrooms.

We were hosting a family birthday dinner and this recipe looked like an easy way to get the lasagna taste without the work. The only thing I was wary about was the sausage; I’m not a fan of meat that comes in a casing. I cringed as I cut through the first sausage (after making a mess with scissors I can tell you a small paring knife works best), but the seasoned meat fell out easily and cooked up in a flash. If you don’t have sausages on hand, I think ground beef, pork or even turkey would also work. And if you're going vegetarian, then spiced, mashed up tofu could do the trick.

This is definitely the dish to cook when you have people coming over. A lot of people. Once again, like every recipe so far, this one was quick and easy. The sauce is made with the sausage, crushed tomatoes, onion and garlic, some cream, milk, and spices. And it was so tasty I considered skipping the baking part and just serving it as a red sauce for the pasta. Once the sauce was complete (took me under 10 minutes, including chopping), I stirred in the mushrooms and fresh ravioli, transferred to the baking dish, topped it with a whole mess of cheese (as a cheese addict, I added extra), and baked it for 20 minutes. The whole family loved it, including the little ones, and there was enough left for the husband's lunch the next day.

If I were cooking this for my house of three, I’d split the recipe in half and freeze it for another meal. This would also be the perfect meal to take to a friend who just welcomed a new babe, or for a holiday potluck. I may have found my new lasagna…

Try the recipe: Ravioli lasagna with sausage and mushrooms