Friday, April 17, 2009

Lasagna

I know everyone is particular about their lasagna recipe. My mom makes a good one, my older sister does as well. For me, my recipe works perfect. It started years ago with me being a little too busy (lazy) to actually simmer the tomatoes and all of that other stuff. So, if you like yours, stick with it. If you are looking for one that is probably a bit faster and tastes great, give this one a try.
We have a small family, so when I make this, I make 2, 8" square pans. I either freeze one of the pans or take one to a friend, which is what I get to do tonight.
*10-12 lasagna noodles (I always seem to have one or two break during cooking, so I cook 12, even though you can almost always do this with 10 noodles)
*3/4 lb. hamburger (or Italian sausage, or combo of both)
*5-6 c. favorite jarred marinara sauce (today I used Prego, traditional)
*2 1/2 c. ricotta (skim)
*4 c. mozzarella, shredded
*1 c. Parmesan, shredded
*2 eggs
*1 1/2 T. parsley
*salt and pepper to taste
*Italian seasoning

In a large pot bring lots of water to a boil. Add a little salt and cook the noodles per package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, season the hamburger with pepper and cook on medium-high until cooked through. I rinse and drain my meat, but some say that is unnecessary. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta, 3 c. mozzarella, 3/4 c. Parmesan, eggs, parsley and pepper. Your noodles will probably be done by now, so drain them and lay the noodles flat on cooling racks (or foil or wax paper). Lightly grease pans with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 c. sauce on the bottom of each pan. Cut 1/3 length off of each noodle (set aside small portion for top layers). Take 3 of the large portions of noodles and lay them side-by-side in the bottom of the pan. Spread noodles with ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 hamburger and cover with some sauce. Repeat with noodles (use a combo of big lengths and small), cheese, meat, sauce. Add a final layer of noodles, sauce and cover with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with some Italian seasoning and pepper. Cover with foil. I usually make mine in the morning and keep in in the fridge until time to bake.
Bake at 350 for about 1 hour (if you make this right before baking it will only take about 35 min. to finish) or until the sauce is all bubbly and the house smells delicious. Serve with bread and a good salad.
I forgot to take pictures along the way, and of the finished product for that matter. This is the lone serving that was on the way to the leftover shelf in the fridge.
*If you are freezing one, press plastic wrap tightly over the top and then cover the pan with foil. Freeze. Remove from the freezer and cook for about 2 hours.

1 comment:

Lindsay Heitz said...

Great news...Tayler loved it and asked for seconds. Kelly and I loved it. I can't believe I've never made lasagna before. It was super easy.
Bad news...Ashton wouldn't touch it.
Oh well, his loss!
Thanks again for all the recipes :)