Italian Sausage and Spinach Lasagna

This lasagna is in regular rotation in my house. I adapted it years ago from a recipe I found in Bon Appetit magazine.  I usually make 2 batches at once and freeze one before baking for times when I want home cooked meal but don't feel like putting in the effort. It goes great with any red wine.  And it's probably understood, but you can increase the cheese to your liking.

Ingredients
  1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
3 tablespoons milk or cream
dried basil and oregeno
ground black pepper
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
3 cups shredded Italian style cheese (I usually use a combination of Mozzarella and Asiago, provolone also works really great in this recipe)
1 batch of Tomato Sauce 

Instructions 

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add sausages and saute until brown, using a fork to break the meat into coarse pieces, about 5-7 minutes.  Add tomato sauce and simmer 5 minutes. 
2. Whisk ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, eggs, cream, basil, oregano and pepper in a large bowl. 
3. Spoon 1 cup sauce over bottom of a 13x9x2 baking dish (I use glass or aluminum).  Place 3 noodles over sauce in a single layer.  Spread 1 cup sauce over noodles.  Spoon 1 cup ricotta mixture over sauce.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup parmesan and 1 cup Italian shredded cheese over ricotta mixture.  Repeat layering with 3 noodles, 1 cup sauce, 1 cup ricotta mixture, 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1 cup Italian cheese.  Arrange remaining noodles over cheese.  Spoon 1 cup sauce over nooldes.  Sprinkle remaining cheeses over lasagna.  Dollop remaining ricotta mixture on top fo lasagna.  Spoon 2 1/2 cups sauce around ricotta dollops.  
4. Tightly cover with foil.  Bake lasagna 50 minutes; uncover and continue baking until noodles are tender and lasagna is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes.  Let stand 15 minutes before serving. I often serve with any leftover sauce on the side. 
5. When I freeze this dish, I usually allow to defrost during the day in the refrigerator, then cook as stated above.  If I don't defrost, the initial covered baking stage can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour longer.