Five Layer Roasted Chili Elk Lasagna

Preheat oven to 350F.

1) Heat heavy stock pot on medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, chopped shallots, garlic and onion. Cook until onions become soft and translucent. Add elk sausage and continue to cook until the sausage is brown.

2) To the meat mixture, add chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, basil and ¼ cup of cilantro to meat. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low heat. Simmer for approximately 30-45 minutes being sure to stir occasionally. If sauce begins to thicken, add ¼ cup of water.

3) In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 ¾ cup mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup parmesan. Add 2 lightly beaten eggs to the cheese mixture and stir.

4) In a 9×13 pan, spread a little of the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Place 3-4 noodles over sauce. Add 1 cup of sauce over noodles along with a few spoonfuls of the cheese mixture and a few diced chili’s*. Top with another layer of noodles and repeat the process until you are out of ingredients. You will need to judge the amount equally to achieve 5 layers.

5) Cover with foil and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Remove foil and top with remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Continue to cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes.

* Easy and Quick Tip for Roasting a Chili Pepper
1) Turn your gas burner on to high. Place the chili pepper directly on the gas burner. Let the chili pepper sit on the burner as its skin begins to bubble and turn black (about a minute).

2) Once one side gets pretty well blistered, use tongs to turn the chili to another side. Repeat until the chili gets blistered or charred on all sides. Obviously you need to pay close attention to the chili. It should just blister and char a bit, not catch fire.

3) Place the chili in a brown paper bag or plastic ziploc bag. Close the bag and let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes.

4) Remove the chili from the bag. Use your fingers or a damp towel to rub off the skin. Remove and discard the stem, seeds, and veins. Then chop and layer into your lasagna.