a new habit. a good one.

our friends recently mentioned that they're in the habit of taking one night each week and setting it aside for family time. and we really liked that idea. so we copied it.

last night was our first attempt at this... and while at first we just kind of looked at each other and didn't know what to do, once we got to talking it was so much fun! we HIGHLY recommend doing this - no matter how big and extended your family is (including friends!).

anywho... in preparation for this new event, i had some time before nik got home from work and decided it was enough to make lasagna. i almost hesitated telling you about this because my mom has a famous lasagna that everyone loves (most notably my dad).

however. this one is pretty darn good, too.

it has goat cheese and sausage in it... so there you go.

here's the recipe and to do list for the lasagna, adopted from ms. ina garten (again).

you need:

olive oil

1 chopped yellow onion

4 garlic cloves, minced (we really like garlic around here)

1 to 1.5 pounds Italian sausage, casings removed

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

salt

black pepper

1/4 to 1/2 pound lasagna noodles (i used the no cook kind)

15 ounces ricotta cheese

3 to 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

1 pound shredded mozzarella (or fresh would be good - this is what we had in the fridge)

to do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

Heat the olive oil in a large (10 to 12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Simmer, uncovered, until thickened. Ina thought this would take 15-20 minutes but it only took us five... so just pay attention.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, the egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one third of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and sauce. Then, cover the top with mozzarella.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling. I actually had to reduce the temperature to 300 for the last 10 minutes because the cheese crust started browning quickly.

i sure hope this habit (and lasagna) sticks around...