Homemade lasagna is a showstopper: beautiful layers of tomato sauce and pasta, all topped with bubbly cheese. It's a great dish for company...and it's also one of those things that you can make ahead and freeze.
Make-ahead meals are fantastic for those of us that don't have a ton of time on our hand but still want to eat delicious food. All you need to do on those lazy days is pop whatever you have in the freezer straight into the oven and bam!...great food, no work. Even better: freeze your lasagna in one of those disposable roasting pans you can buy at the grocery store and you've got a great meal with nearly no dishes.
Don't let the number of ingredients and steps scare you. It might seem like a lot of work, but there's actually quite a bit of waiting around. Also: it's totally worth it.
Don't let the number of ingredients and steps scare you. It might seem like a lot of work, but there's actually quite a bit of waiting around. Also: it's totally worth it.
Ingredients (for one 9x13 lasagna. Double to make one lasagna now and another one later.)
-500g lean ground beef (or any ground meat of your choice. Half beef/half italian sausage is especially delicious)
-1 onion, diced
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 tbsp fresh)
-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-1 jar of your favourite pasta sauce (alternative: use 2 jars of pasta sauce and omit the diced tomatoes)
-540 ml can of diced tomatoes with Italian herbs (or this delicious marinara sauce...I keep bags of it in the freezer)
-2 tbsp dried basil (or 1/3 cup fresh)
-1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-12 uncooked lasagna noodles (12 is a guess based on how many noodles I usually need...use as many as you need for 3 layers)
-2 cups ricotta cheese
-300g frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and chopped
-1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (or romano, or asiago.......)
-1 egg
-1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and spray a 9x13 baking dish (set aside).
2) Make the sauce. Add beef, onion and garlic to a large pot; cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add oregano and crushed red pepper flakes; cook for 1 more minute. Add pasta sauce, tomatoes, basil, vinegar, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
3) While the sauce is simmering, cook the lasagna noodles. Tip: I don't like to cook mine all the way through at this stage...if you leave them ever so slightly underdone they're easier to work with (and they'll finish cooking in the oven). Drain the noodles, rinse them with cold water, and drain them again.
4) In a medium bowl mix together the ricotta, spinach, parmesan cheese, and egg.
5) Assemble the lasagna!
This is the point when you can freeze your lasagna. Let cool (until no longer steaming), then cover in tinfoil, then wrap with plastic wrap (keep as much air out as possible) before putting it in the freezer for later.
6) Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before cutting.
If you went the frozen lasagna route, your lasagna can go straight from the freezer to a 375 degree oven (though you should take off the plastic wrap first). Cook covered for 45 minutes to an hour, then check the temperature by inserting a metal knife into the centre: stick in the knife, then pull it out and touch it. If the knife is cold to the touch your lasagna needs more time, if it is warm, then you can uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes (until the cheese and sauce are bubbly). Let stand before cutting.
-500g lean ground beef (or any ground meat of your choice. Half beef/half italian sausage is especially delicious)
-1 onion, diced
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 tbsp fresh)
-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-1 jar of your favourite pasta sauce (alternative: use 2 jars of pasta sauce and omit the diced tomatoes)
-540 ml can of diced tomatoes with Italian herbs (or this delicious marinara sauce...I keep bags of it in the freezer)
-2 tbsp dried basil (or 1/3 cup fresh)
-1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-12 uncooked lasagna noodles (12 is a guess based on how many noodles I usually need...use as many as you need for 3 layers)
-2 cups ricotta cheese
-300g frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and chopped
-1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (or romano, or asiago.......)
-1 egg
-1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and spray a 9x13 baking dish (set aside).
2) Make the sauce. Add beef, onion and garlic to a large pot; cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add oregano and crushed red pepper flakes; cook for 1 more minute. Add pasta sauce, tomatoes, basil, vinegar, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
3) While the sauce is simmering, cook the lasagna noodles. Tip: I don't like to cook mine all the way through at this stage...if you leave them ever so slightly underdone they're easier to work with (and they'll finish cooking in the oven). Drain the noodles, rinse them with cold water, and drain them again.
4) In a medium bowl mix together the ricotta, spinach, parmesan cheese, and egg.
5) Assemble the lasagna!
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| Start by spreading 1 cup of meat sauce over the bottom of your baking dish. |
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| Top with a layer of noodles. |
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| Spread 1/3 remaining sauce over the noodles, followed by 1/3 of the mozzarella, and one more layer of noodles. |
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| Top with 1/3 sauce, and all of the ricotta mixture (spread evenly, don't worry if it mixes with the sauce) |
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| Cover ricotta with 1/3 mozzarella and the last of the noodles. |
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| Cover the last noodle layer with the remaining sauce and mozzarella. Make sure to spread all the way to the edges to prevent your lasagna from drying up...add chicken stock/red wine to make your sauce go farther if necessary. |
6) Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before cutting.
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| Letting it stand is the hardest part, but is worth it to avoid burning yourself on hot mozzarella. |
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| Yum. That is all. |
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