What's for Dinner? : Lasagna

 Lasagna is one of those quintessential comfort foods for me. If I'm trying a new Italian restaurant, then I'm ordering the lasagna! So comforting and delicious. I like that the noodles don't need to be preboiled before using. It reduces the time needed to make and cook the dish. This recipe is definitely able to be made during the week. Assembly time is about 20 minutes, and cook time is 25 minutes. The best part is that lasagna is better the next day. Something almost magical happens as the flavors mingle and the layers become more cohesive. 

 This recipe is simple and easy. Think prep, assemble, and bake. Pair this with a simple salad and you have a delicious meal with leftovers.

Ingredients

1 pound of ground beef 85/15

1 large onion, chopped roughly

1 clove of garlic (all depends on how much you like. I usually add 3-5 cloves.)

1 jar of marinara sauce ( I use Rao's.)

1 15 oz package of whole milk Ricotta- I use Publix brand, and this is just the size that they offer.

1 large egg

1 package of ready to use/ no boil lasagna noodles (I used Rana brand.)

8 oz of fresh mozzarella, grated  

4 oz of grated Parmesan cheese or grated Italian cheese blend

Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes,garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning to taste

 Directions

Preheat the oven  to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In  a large skillet on medium heat, cook your ground beef and break apart into small pieces. I usually chop the onion during this time, and add the onion to the pan. I mince the garlic and add a minute before the mixture is done. The onions should be translucent when the garlic is added. I add a pinch of salt to the mixture and a healthy amount of garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Tip: There is a fair amount of salt in the cheese so beware of adding to much. I season each element individually while keeping that in mind.  I don't want to over power the meat with seasoning, but I do want it to have good flavor. I also like to add some red pepper flakes. These can be left out completely. It's all about what you like!

Moving on to the cheese mixture, in a medium large bowl, add the ricotta and the large egg. Whisk to combine. To the mixture add garlic powder, onion powder and Italian seasoning. I think a quarter teaspoon is a safe amount to start with. You can always add more to your liking. Set aside. We are ready to assemble.

In a 9x13 baking dish, spoon a quarter cup of your marinara sauce in the bottom of the pan. Spread evenly over the bottom. It's okay if the sauce is sparse in some areas, just try to avoid overly sauced areas. When it comes to lasagna, less is more. Place 2 of the lasagna sheets in the pan. You may need to adjust the size of the noodles depending on the dish that you use. The noodles are easy to break with you hands. Next layer is ricotta, spoon about a third of the mixture over the noodles. Next comes the meat and onion mixture, spoon about a half of the mixture over the noodles. I then spoon over the marinara and spread as evenly as possible with the back of my spoon.  Sprinkle a handful of the Italian cheese blend/Parmesan. Repeat the process. Noodles, ricotta, meat, sauce,  cheese, noodles. This is the last layer. Spoon over the last of the ricotta mixture. Follow that with the rest of the sauce. Finally finish the top with all of the grated mozzarella. You can sprinkle the Italian cheese blend/Parmesan on top. I like to shake a little of the Italian herbs on top as well. I then like to lightly press down on the lasagna with a spatula. I want a solid dish, and pockets of little to no ingredients will make a layers that fall apart easily. Press down too hard, and the lasagna is dense and chewy (and not in a good way. We're looking for the layers to get to know each other, not for them to smother each other. Cover that lasagna with tin foil,  dull side facing outward, and it's ready for the oven.

Place the lasagna in the preheated oven. It cooks at 400 degrees for 25 minutes covered then remove the foil and allow to bake another 5 minutes uncovered. When you pull out the lasagna, it's tempting to cut right into it, but hold off for a good 10-15 minutes if you can. This allows the layers to set up, and will result in a more cohesive dish. I've also seen, when I can't wait, that the sauce tends to leak and I get a watery layer in the bottom of the pan. This is easily avoided if you just wait a little. 

When cutting, I use my spatula as a guide for the width of each slice, and I use it to create a uniform square. 

When serving, I like a simple salad to pair with this, and maybe some garlic bread. It's like Olive garden, but way better!