Lasagna

This is my version of lasagna that combines a little cheating by using jarred marina sauce and oven ready lasagna noodles. I add to the sauce to give it a little gilding to add more flavor. This version is super easy and beats a frozen lasagna any day. This is a perfect make ahead recipe that can be put together a day or two ahead and bake on the day you need it. This is also easy to freeze and bake later.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
4 green onions-chopped
1 & 1/2 jars of your favorite marinara sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp sugar
15 oz container of ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
2 cups of shredded Italian cheese blend
1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese
12 slices fresh mozzarella

 (These are the cheeses that I use)

Directions:

Meat Sauce:

Add the first 6 ingredients into a pan and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the fat from the meat and then add the jarred sauce, oregano, and sugar, and heat through. 

Cheese mixture:

In a large bowl mix the ricotta cheese, eggs, basil, and parsley until all of the ingredients are incorporated. 

Now the assembly:

Generously spray the inside of a casserole dish. Add enough sauce (a little more than half a cup) to the bottom of your dish then add enough noodles to cover the bottom. You may have to break off pieces of noodles to make them fit.

Add half of the cheese mixture on top of the noodles then sprinkle 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan on top of the cheese mix. Add half of what is left of the meat sauce on top of the cheese layer. (It's important to cover everything with sauce so that the noodles will cook.) Repeat the layer one more time. You will have two layers of noodles and should end with a layer of meat sauce. Then it's time to add the mozzarella.

Cover with aluminum foil. Lightly coat the underside of the foil with cooking spray and this will keep the foil from sticking to the cheese. Bake at 425* for 50 minutes with the foil on and then remove the foil and bake for about 15 minutes more until the cheese is bubbly. 

I always let the lasagna sit for about 15 minutes so that it has time to bind together a bit and this way it will cut nicely and not fall apart. 

Enjoy!

Monlat