Sausage and Basil Cream Lasagna

1 lb ground italian sausage (I used spicy ground italian sausage, but you could also go with mild)
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
salt and pepper for seasoning
italian seasoning
26 oz. bottled marinara sauce of your choice
1 bunch of basil, stems discarded
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups shredded mozzarella
lasagna noodles (for a quicker/easier meal, I used no boil lasagna noodles)

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large sauté pan, drizzle with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown, crumbling into pieces while cooking. Add onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and continue to sauté until onions are soft and cooked through. Add marinara sauce and allow simmering for about 10 minutes.

While sauce is simmering, place basil in a food processor and add heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper. Process until it whips up into a think cream.

In a 9x13 baking dish place some of the sauce on the bottom and smear around. Lay a layer of lasagna noodles, and then spread a layer of basil cream, followed by a layer of sauce and then top with shredded mozzarella. Keep repeating and finish layers so that the top ends in sauce and then mozzarella. Season the very top with some pepper and italian seasoning.

Cover with foil and back for 45 minutes. Increase heat to 400 and remove foil. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so, just until cheese begins to bubble and brown. Remove from oven and allow resting for about 10 minutes. This helps the lasagna set so you can easily remove slices without creating too much of a mess.

Serve and ENJOY!

Wine Pairing........Pinot Noir.