Slow Cooker Lasagna

Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 pounds sweet or hit bulk Italian Sausage
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 jars (24 ounce) RAGÚ Simply™ Chunky Garden Vegetable Pasta Sauce
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 cups ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 16 uncooked lasagna noodles
  • 1 8 ounce package shredded Italian bend cheese
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in large pot on medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook 8-10 minutes or until browned, breaking up large chunks with wooden spoon. Drain; return meat to pot. Add onions; cook 3-4 minutes or until softened. Stir in sauce and water; bring to a simmer. Remove pot from heat.
  2. Combine ricotta, Parmesan, garlic, eggs and basil in medium bowl.
  3. Spread 1 cup sauce mixture in a 6 or 7-quart slow cooker insert sprayed with nonstick spray. Top with 4 noodles, breaking noodles and overlapping to fit. Top with dollops of 1 cup ricotta mixture, 2 cups sauce mixture and 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Repeat layers 3 times.
  4. Cook on LOW 4 hours or until noodles are tender and most liquid is absorbed. Remove insert from slow cooker. Let stand 10-15 minutes before cutting to serve.
Tips:

Substitute ground beef or turkey for the sausage. Or, for a meatless version, substitute 2 pounds sliced white or cremini mushrooms.

No need to turn on the oven to make this hearty lasagna. The extra liquid in the recipe allows the noodles to cook perfectly while the flavors blend.