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Making lasagna does not have to be difficult. Below is an easy lasagna recipe that is sure to please everyone.
Lasagna recipes are something like spaghetti sauce recipes. Many are good, some are bad and they're all a little different.
But one thing they do have in common is that everyone thinks they make the best lasagna.
Lasagna is not a dish in itself, but rather a type of pasta. What many people think of as lasagna,
is actually Lasagne al Forno or Baked Lasagna.
Below are two recipes. The first is an easy lasagna recipe that is not only simple and easy to make, but it's very good and can serve as a starting point for many different variations.
The second is a meatless cheese lasagna recipe prepared in a more traditional manner.
Whatever you do for any kind of cooking, make sure you have fresh, quality ingredients. Nothing ruins a good recipe quicker than trying to save a buck on cheap, poor quality ingredients.
Let's get started.
Easy Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage (remove the casing if you can't find uncased Italian sausage)
- 1 box of NO-BOIL lasagna noodles
- 2 jars (22 to 25 ozs) of your favorite spaghetti sauce
- 32 oz. ricotta cheese
- 16 oz. small curd cottage cheese
- 16 oz. grated mozzarella cheese
- 3-4 oz. grated parmesan cheese
Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
In a skillet, brown the sausage. Drain and pat down with paper towel to remove most of the grease.
Using a non-stick spray, olive oil, or butter, grease a 13 x 9 x 3 baking dish.
Layer the ingredients into the pan like this:
- Put a small layer of the sauce in the baking dish. Layer in one layer of the noodles (about 1/3 of them).
- Spread half of the ricotta cheese onto the noodles.
- Then put in half of the sausage, then half of the remaining sauce.
- On top of this put half of each of the mozzarella, cottage and parmesan cheeses.
- Layer on another single layer of noodles.
- On this layer of noodles, layer on the remaining sausage then HALF of the remaining sauce and then the remaining ricotta and cottage cheese.
- Now layer on HALF the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Layer on another single layer of noodles.
- Spread the remaining sauce on the top layer of noodles and then the remaining cheeses.
Cover with foil and bake for 50-60 minutes.
After 50-60 minutes remove from oven and check. It should be bubbling around the edges and a knife inserted directly in the center should come out VERY hot. If not, return to oven for another 5-10 minutes.
Remove the foil bake another 5-10 minutes until the top is just starting to brown.
Remove from the oven and let it let for 10 minutes or so before cutting.
Makes approximately 10 servings.
More Traditional Lasagna Recipe
This recipe is a meatless lasagna cooked in a more traditional method.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large white onion, chopped somewhat fine
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 small can of tomato paste
- 1 small can of tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 box of lasagna noodles
- 16 oz. ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 8 oz small curd cottage cheese
- 16 oz sliced mozzarella cheese
- 8 oz grated parmesan cheese
Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
In a skillet, cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil over a medium heat until the onions just start to brown.
Reduce the heat and stir in the water. Stir in the tomato paste, rinsing the can with a little more water. Add in the tomato sauce, oregano and basil.
Cover and adjust the heat to bring it to a slow simmer, stirring occasionally.
Cook the lasagna noodles as directed on the package. When complete, rinse in hot water and drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of the water in which the noodles were cooked.
While the noodles are cooking, mix the cottage cheese with the egg. Slice the mozzarella cheese and grate the parmesan cheese.
Mix the reserved noodle water with the ricotta cheese stirring until smooth.
Using a non-stick spray, olive oil, or butter, grease a 13 x 9 baking dish.
Layer the ingredients into the pan like this:
- Put a layer cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of the pan.
- Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture on the noodles.
- On top of the ricotta, add in half of the tomato sauce mixture.
- Place 1/3 of the sliced mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce.
- Next spread in half of the cottage cheese mixture.
- Sprinkle in 1/3 of the parmesan cheese.
- Add another layer of noodles.
- Spread remaining ricotta cheese mixture on the noodles.
- On top of the ricotta, add the remaining tomato sauce mixture.
- Place half of the remaining mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce.
- Next spread in the remaining cottage cheese mixture.
- Sprinkle in half of the remaining parmesan cheese.
- Add the last layer of noodles and on top of them add the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 55-60 minutes.
After 55-60 minutes remove from oven and check. It should be bubbling around the edges and a knife inserted directly in the center should come out VERY hot. If not, return to oven for another 5-10 minutes.
Remove the foil bake another 5-10 minutes until the top is just starting to brown.
Remove from the oven and let it let for 10 minutes or so before cutting.
Makes approximately 10 servings.
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