With the weekend shortly upon us I figured it was the perfect time for my very first recipe post. And what better way to celebrate than with one of my most favorite things to make and eat; LASAGNA! Mmm, the cheesy, saucy, noodle-y goodness... I created this recipe by combining various lasagna recipes & making them my own. And if you want to make a vegetarian version, just substitute the meat for either veggie ground or some tasty eggplant. Enjoy! (And then enjoy again because the leftovers taste even better).
My Most Delicious Lasagna
You will need:
1x glass lasagna dish (9"x13")
1x box of lasagna noodles (I used Barilla)
about 1lb. lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
an onion
1x 15oz (425 g.) container of ricotta cheese
1x 15oz (425 g.) container of ricotta cheese
a carrot
a zucchini
a broccoli crown
garlic
Bag of fresh spinach
2x jars of marinara/spaghetti sauce (whatever kind you like)
Mozzarella cheese (I used a whole 8oz. bag - aka 2 cups)
Some sharp cheddar if you like (I like old fort because it's tastier).
-basil, oregano, salt, pepper, olive oil
(a layer of fresh basil would be awesome!)
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Heat oven to 350.
Boil a giant pot of salted water and cook lasagna noodles (I used 10), following instructions on box. When done, lay them flat & let cool (I add a bit of olive oil to the strainer so they don't stick).
Chop up broccoli top, carrot & the zucchini (I used half) and sautée in pan with some olive oil until not-so-crunchy. Then turn off heat.
Finely chop half an onion (or use the whole thing if it's not massive - whatever you choose) and throw it in a pan with the ground beef & cook.
In a bowl, dump the whole container of ricotta cheese and add whatever spices you like (I like fresh garlic, some basil & oregano & a little salt & pepper). Then add the cooked veggies (wait until they're not steaming hot if you can) and mix it up.
Once the beef is cooked, add a jar of spaghetti sauce & simmer for about 5 minutes (or longer, doesn't matter).
Spray your glass lasagna pan with some cooking spray/olive oil and then cover the bottom with a thin layer of marinara sauce. Then lay down the first 4 noodles, overlapping the edges slightly. Then spread on a nice layer of the ricotta cheese/veg mixture. Then take your fresh (uncooked) spinach and add a layer (this will cook in the oven). Then add a layer of the beef.
Then layer on 3 more noodles and then layer on whatever you have left (mine ended up being a combination of a sparse layer of cheese mix & rest of beef. I think I also added a few spoonfuls of marinara sauce & a sprinkle of cheese - whatever you like). Then layer 3 more noodles.
On top add a thin layer of marinara sauce & then pile on the grated mozzarella to cover the top. Use however much you like. I also added some grated cheddar for flavor and then sprinkled it all with some pepper and oregano.
Cover with foil (make sure it's not resting on the cheese like mine was) and cook for 35 minutes. Then remove the foil & cook for another 10. Let sit on counter for 10 minutes & enjoy!
P.S. I had wanted to add a layer of fresh basil to the 2nd (sparse) layer but the store was out of it. It was delicious anyway but I think this would make it even more delicious. Mmm!
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