Spicy Lasagna

I only have a couple of recipes that I have mastered, but the ones I have I love to tweak every time I make them. I think after tonight's lasagna it will no longer need any tweaking. It was the perfect mix of cheese, sauce, noodles, and spice

I've come to the realization that if you cut back on the noodles in lasagna, you can enjoy more cheese, and really that's the best part. This lasagna had only two layers of noodles and was super saucy. If you prefer a more traditional style of lasagna, this is the not the recipe for you.

I have also realized that adding some spice, or a lot of spice, helps cut back on the heaviness of a dish like this. My favorite heat source? Sriracha! If you do not like spicy foods, do not use the Sriracha! (You have been warned).

(Sorry the picture quality, we ate it hot right out of the oven. So this is from after dinner.)

Recipe:
28oz can whole peeled plum tomatoes
1 tsp olive oil
6 cloves of garlic minced
2 tbsp Sriracha*
6 basil leaves sliced
Salt
Fresh black pepper
15 oz low fat ricotta cheese
8 oz fresh mozzarella sliced into 12 pieces
12 oz per cooked hot Italian chicken sausage sliced into coins*
1 cup fresh spinach chopped
6 No Boil lasagna noodles

1. Blend the tomatoes until smooth. Add oil to a heated saucepan over medium low. Once oil heats, you will be able to swirl it in the pan, add garlic. Sauté garlic until golden, do not over cook, 2-3 minutes. Add the blended tomatoes and the Sriracha to the garlic, along with salt and pepper to taste. Mix together and simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes. In the last 2 minutes add the basil, and stir into the sauce.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°. While the sauce cooks, mix together ricotta cheese, sausage, and spinach. Set aside.
3. Ladle one scoop of sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Place 3 noodles on top of the sauce, covering the bottom of the pan. Spoon half the cheese and sausage mixture on top of the shells. Add six slices of mozzarella next, then top with about 2-3 ladles of sauce. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Place in oven for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Eat immediately!

*If you do not like spicy foods do not use the Sriracha or use much less than 2 tbsp. Replace the hot Italian sausage with sweet sausage. If you like spicy foods start with 2 tbsp of Sriracha, this had a nice heat to it, but it was not enough to make you sweat and tear up. That kind of spicy has a place, but I didn't want to overpower the cheese.