Homemade Lasagna

My friend, Hilary, had the most precious little girl three weeks ago. I went over to visit her little bundle of joy, and she was picture perfect. Ten tiny fingers and the cutest little nose. I know how busy and tiring caring for a newborn can be, so I thought I'd bring over some homemade lasagna for her and her husband, Dave. All they have to do is bake it and they're set for a few nights worth of dinner.

I was a little hesitant to use the "ready to bake" lasagna noodles, but when it came down to it, they were just the easier solution. Making lasagna isn't really too difficult, but it does take some time and cooking lasagna noodles (and making sure they don't break in the process!) is a step I would gladly avoid if possible. I made an extra tray of lasagna for Chris and me, and I was delightfully surprised at the end result. I was afraid the noodles would be crunchy and hard, but they were tender and cooked perfectly. Just what I wanted. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 cups marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 lb. ground Italian flavored pork
• 12 lasagna noodles, cooked (or you can use the readty-to-bake noodles)
• 15 oz. ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 lb. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the marinara sauce so it is warm.

Brown the beef and pork. Drain and add to sauce.

Combine the ricotta cheese, egg, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning in a medium bowl. 

In a 9x13 inch pan, spread a light layer of the meat sauce on the bottom (this is so the noodles don't stick to the bottom of the pan). Top with 4 lasagna noodles. Spread 1/4 of the ricotta mixture over top of the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese and a light sprinkle of Parmesan. Top with more meat sauce. Continue layering until you run out of space and/or noodles. Make sure you end with a layer of sauce, layer of Mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil. To prevent sticking, spray the bottom of the foil with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes and remove foil. Continue baking for an additional 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Source: SK Original