There is approximately a BAZILLION(true story) lasagna recipes out there, all of whose creators and fans claim that theirs is The Best.
And it's true. Theirs is.
To them.
My Smokin' Hot Husband's all-time favorite food (other than mashed potatoes) is Lasagna.
And let me tell you.. he is quite particular about his Lasagna.
When we were dating and I found out that it was his favorite food, I promptly made it my life goal to learn how to make the best version of it, EVER. (Another win for feminism.)
I probed him with a few questions about his preferred ingredients, and from there whipped up just about the simplest recipe there is.
He ate it, and immediately proposed.
He adores it SO much that it has ruined all other Lasagna recipes to him.
SO much that I make it, without fail, for every birthday and valentines day.
SO much, I'm almost positive that if I ever decided to randomly switch it up, by maybe adding sausage or, dare I say it... vegetables, to my recipe, it would be enough reason for him to call an emergency marital counseling session.
Basically...don't mess with his favorite food.
Here is the simple, but sacred recipe.
I start out by sauteing chopped onion with some butter, minced garlic, and olive oil.
It will make your house smell divine.
I would have taken a picture of the onion being chopped, but I was too busy cradling myself in the fetal position on the kitchen floor while my eyeballs burned and melted away.
Kind of hinders my onion chopping skills.
By the way, the day I took these I was in the process of making two Lasagnas-one to eat and one to freeze. So you're going to be seeing pictures of double the amount of ingredients you need.
I hope you weren't frightened by the cauldron full of onions.
You don't need that many.
So while here I have a 2 lb. container of ricotta, you only need a 15 oz. tub.
And one egg.
Beat them together senseless with a fork while the onions are a cookin'.
Once the onions are pearly and translucent, add a pound of ground beef.
One time I made it with ground bison instead of beef (per my beloved's request, of course), and he about died and went to heaven.
I've wanted to do that again, but we up and moved to Minnesota, where the price of bison ranges from a pint of blood to your first born child.
But if you live somewhere more reasonable, you should try it. SO good!
While your meat is browning, bust out some delectable, glorious mozzarella.
Do me a favor, will ya? Please grate your own cheese for this. The bags of pre-grated cheese are covered in starch, and just have a different taste and texture.
But hey, no judgement if you don't. Here's why:
I have one of these puppies.
Which means I don't have to slave away for hours grating blocks of cheese by hand and crying because my flabby arms are sore. I have a machine that does it for me.
Love modern technology!
Of course, I still don't understand why there's not a machine that makes the entire meal for me yet..
This is my all-time favorite tomato sauce.
Tomato Basil Marinara from Trader Joe's.
If you live within 100 miles of a Trader Joe's, I implore you to go there and stock up on this stuff.
Make people think that doomsday is near, whatever, it's so worth it.
But if you aren't blessed enough to have one in your state, just pick out a jar of good sauce.
Newman's Own Marinara is another tasty one, and you can get that pretty much anywhere.
Hi, I'm Elise.
A big, fat cheater.
It's true, I use oven ready lasagna noodles. No boiling required.
If you're italian, I apologize from the bottom of my heart, for violating your country's cuisine and traditions with my convenience-driven habits.
But if you choose to let this one slide, I will offer full immunity for any future situations involving pre-grated cheese.
Which I think is a pretty fair deal.
Ok, It's time to assemble!
Grease a 13x9 baking dish.
Our meat sauce is all ready.
Mmmm..
Spread a small layer of the meat sauce on the bottom to start.
Then the noodles.
Then some ricotta.
The only thing I don't find super easy about lasagna is the portion control of the layers.
Making sure you leave yourself plenty of ricotta, sauce, and cheese for the next two layers without under-doing it or over-doing it.
Kind of stresses me out.
I recommend having a glass of wine close by, to help inhibit your OCD's urge to bust out the digital scale and divide all the ingredients into exact thirds.
BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE RIDICULOUS.
*nervous laugh*
After you've spread a third of the ricotta on, add a third of the meat sauce, making sure to cover any bare areas on the noodles.
Now sprinkle with about a fourth of the cheese.
I'd rather skimp a little with the cheese in the bottom layers so that I have plenty for the top.
Repeat the layering 2 more times, adding the rest of the cheese at the end.
Mmm, Beautiful.
This is where you probably should add some FRESHLY GRATED parmesan on top, just to be true to the Lasagna.
I didn't here because I'm an airhead, and to be honest, I don't always remember.
Somehow..we manage.
Make sure to season it with some basil and oregano.
When I have fresh basil, I use some of that instead of the dried leaves.
There are not many things greater in life than fresh basil.
And voila! Two Lasagnas.
I made one to stick in my freezer for after Blob makes his painful entrance, when I'll be too busy sitting on the couch with an ice pack on my bottom to get up and nuke hot dogs, let alone assemble a lasagna.
Whether getting ready to bake it or freeze it, you'll need cover it with foil.
If you're baking it, put it in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes, remove the foil, and then bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until is hot, bubbly, and maybe a little golden.
This is an awesome one to make for moms with newborns, to me it's the ultimate comfort food.
Voila!
Serve it with a caesar salad and garlic bread!
And wine, of course
DUH.
Like I said, doesn't get much simpler than that.
It's a great basic recipe to start out with at least, and you can make it your own with a ton of different variations.
Bon Appétit!
Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1-2 TBSP Butter
- 1 onion
- 2-3 cloves of garlic(or a tablespoon of minced garlic)
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 26. oz Jar of Marinara(I use TraderJoes Tomato Basil)
- 1 15. oz tub of Ricotta
- 1 egg
- Oven ready lasagna noodles
- 16.oz(minimum**)grated Mozzarella Cheese
- Basil
- Oregeno
Directions
- Chop up onion, saute it with the garlic and butter over medium/high heat until translucent
- Add beef, and once its browned, add the marinara
- Beat the egg in a bowl, mix in the Ricotta
- Grease a 13x9 baking dish, spread a little bit of the meat sauce on the bottom
- Layer lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture(spread out), 1/3 of the meat sauce(making sure to cover any bare areas on noodles), then 1/4 of the cheese.
- Repeat layering 2 more times, then top with the rest of the cheese.
- Season with basil and oregano.
- Cover with Foil.
- Bake according to directions on noodle box(typically 375 degrees for 40-60 min.)
- Remove foil for the last few minutes of oven time, to get the top slightly golden.
*Notes*
- If the browned beef is really fatty, I’ll tilt the pan and spoon some of the fat out before adding marinara.
- If the meat sauce is too thick, or you want more of it, you can add a 8oz. can of tomato sauce to it.
- **I typically end up using more cheese, maybe even topping it with some monterey jack, or just more mozzarella, to make sure its completely covered, and very cheesy
- You can put grated parmesan on top as well(sometimes I do, sometimes I forget)
