Lasagna

It's all about layering with this classic dish. Whether it be vegetarian or meat lasagna it is a comforting dinner that won't disappoint! Preheat your oven to 375º. First prepare the 9x13 glass baking dish by adding a tablespoon of olive oil to the bottom and swish around to coat the bottom. You can also use a spoon to move the olive oil around then add some pasta sauce, whether it be homemade or from a jar, into the bottom of the pan. On top of the olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the pan. When done, set aside. In a skillet on top of the stove brown your choice of meat or veggies or both together. I used ground chicken. Soy ground is wonderful too! Adding fresh garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté everything until meat is brown and veggies are just tender. Return to your prepared baking dish and line with lasagna noodles... fresh, pre-cooked or oven ready. I used oven ready.

When the pan is lined with noodles add your meat mixture. On top of the meat mixture add a bit of grated mozzarella cheese. Layer with more noodles on top.

On top of that empty a tub of ricotta cheese and spread around and top with more grated mozzarella.

Again top with noodles. Covering the entire surface as best you can. You may have to break or cut them to fit. Using oven ready noodles is always fun because you have to snap them to break them apart. Then you get all these little bits. It is like a jigsaw puzzle that you have to put back together.

Once that is done add a generous amount of pasta sauce on top of the noodles. Add more grated mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce. You may also add freshly grated parmesan. Now your lasagna is ready to go into the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes until cheese is melted and all is bubbly. Checking after 20 minutes. Depending on your oven you may want to cook this in a pre-heated 350º oven for 35-45 minutes, again until cheese is melted and all is bubbly. No need to cover in foil... i made that mistake and some of the cheese stuck to the tin foil. It was not fun trying to rescue as much of the cheese as I could.

And when all is said and done your lasagna should come out of the oven looking like this! The cheese has melted. Everything bubbling hot and smelling delicious. Ready and waiting for everyone to dig in.

In the end this is what was left. Minus the piece shown in the pan. My nine year got a hold of that. Lasagna never last too long around here. - jw