by Kathy Hamman Miller
Easiest and tastiest lasagna ever! This lasagna can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated for up to two days before baking.
It also can be frozen, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months. Just thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake for around an extra 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lasagna ingredients:
12 lasagna uncooked noodles
4 cups mozzarella cheese shredded and divided
1 cup Parmesan Cheese shredded and divided
36 ounces pasta or marinara sauce of choice
One sweet onion diced
Two cloves garlic minced
One – 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
One teaspoon Italian seasoning
Two pounds ground beef Hamburg ( I use one pound ground turkey, one pound ground Italian sausage)
Two cups Ricotta Cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley washed and diced
One large egg beaten
Pasta Layer Directions:
Bring a large pot of slightly salted water to a boil and cook the noodles al dente according to the package directions.
Sauce Layer Directions:
In a large skillet, fry the ground meat crispy brown, draining off all but a tad of the fat, and set the meat mixture aside. Stir fry the onion, and garlic in the reserved fat, adding back in the meat when done. Stir in the pasta sauce, tomato sauce, italian seasoning, simmer uncovered until it slightly thickens. Taste and add salt and pepper and seasoning if needed.
Cheese Layer Directions:
In a separate bowl combine the mozzarella, 1/2 cup of the parmesan, and ricotta cheeses. Add the chopped parsley and egg. Stir to combine.
Lasagna Directions:
Layer the pasta, the sauce, and cheese layers by first spreading one heaping cup of the sauce layer in a 9×13 casserole dish. Layer with three al dente noodles to cover sauce. Layer with 1/3 of the Cheese mixture, then one cup of the sauce mixture. Repeat the layers, finishing up with the remaining sauce.
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle the other 1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese over the top and broil for two to three minutes. Rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!
