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Lasagna

Prep Time:

30 minutes

Cook Time:

1 hour

Serves:

8

One of my most requested recipes - it's an adapted recipe that I have been making for more years than I care to count. It's also one of the few recipes on this website where I am using a store-bought jarred sauce - but it's what keeps this a somewhat simpler recipe. It also doesn't require boiling the lasagna noodles first, another plus for ease!

30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 40-oz jarred spaghetti sauce (5 C)

  • 1 C water

  • 1 lb ground beef

  • ½ medium onion, diced

  • 1 (8-oz) package mushrooms, sliced (about 12)

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced (4 t)

  • 1 t + ½ t salt

  • 1 (16-oz) package lasagna noodles

  • 2 eggs

  • ¼ t nutmeg

  • 1 t freshly ground black pepper, divided

  • 1 t dried oregano

  • ½ C + ¼ C fresh parsley, chopped

  • ¼ C fresh basil, chopped

  • 2 C + 1 C mozzarella cheese, shredded

  • 1 C parmesan cheese, grated

  • 1 (8-oz) container ricotta cheese

  • 1 (8-oz) container cottage cheese


Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F and lightly grease a 9" x 13" glass casserole dish with extra-virgin olive oil.

  2. In a large pot, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat (should be about 8 - 10 minutes). Drain almost all of the grease off the meat, reserving a little bit. Add in diced onion, mushrooms, 1 t salt, ½ t of the black pepper, and dried oregano and cook for 5 more minutes until tender and the mushrooms have given off most of their liquid.

  3. Lower heat to medium, and add garlic and cook for 1 additional minute. Add spaghetti sauce, water, and the basil, turn heat to low, and allow to simmer for at least 15 minutes uncovered. Taste for any additional seasonings at the end.

  4. In a medium-sized bowl, add cottage, ricotta, parmesan, 2 C of the mozzarella, nutmeg, ½ t salt, ¼ t black pepper, eggs, and ½ C of parsley. Stir until all is well combined.

  5. Layer the lasagna in the following manner:

    1. 1 C sauce

    2. Noodles (break any pieces into smaller ones to make fit and completely cover bottom)

    3. 1 C sauce and half of the cheese filling

    4. Noodles

    5. 1 C sauce and half of the cheese filling

    6. Noodles

    7. 1 ½ C sauce and remaining 1 C of mozzarella

  6. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil, top with remaining ¼ C parsley and cook uncovered for 15 minutes.

  7. Let lasagna rest at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving (otherwise, it's too hot and the layers won't stay intact when serving).

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