I have friends who make lasagna. People rave about it. There are never any leftovers. It’s sought after. Problem is, lasagna isn’t one of those quick and easy meals…and according to my friends that make this famous lasagna, their recipe takes forever. Sure, part of it is that they make their own sauce, but even once that part is done, it’s still not a quick process. But lo and behold, people happily wait the better part of a day for their lasagna. And I’ll admit, I’m often hoping to be invited over on lasagna night. But I’ve never asked for the recipe. Or any lasagna recipe. I’ve actually steered clear of lasagna recipes for years. Because if it’s one thing I don’t have, it’s the better part of a day to devote to making dinner for my family. There’s just too much to do.
Sometime in November, I happened to see a recipe for lasagna at the grocery store near a cooking display. I glanced at the recipe – more for the delicious looking picture on the recipe card than anything else – and quickly noticed that there were only a few ingredients and 5 steps. Honestly? It didn’t look hard at all. Naturally, I was going to have to take short cuts like jarred sauce and store bought noodles, but it looked delicious and was definitely worth a try.
The result was an absolutely delicious lasagna in just under an hour and a half. My friends may still hold the prize for best lasagna, but this one is pretty darn close. Who knows, I might just be able to fool someone that it’s homemade!
You will need:
12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1 jar of tomato pasta sauce (24 ounce jar)
1 jar of Alfredo sauce (15 ounce jar)
2 containers of ricotta cheese (15 oz each)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, separating into two portions of 1/2 and 1/4
2 eggs
Step 1 – Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Step 2 – Combine 2 containers of ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, all of the mozzarella cheese, and 2 eggs in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Step 3 – Combine sauces in a medium mixing bowl.
Step 4 – Spread one cup of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish. Layer 4 of the cooked lasagna noodles on top of the sauce, and then cover with one cup of the sauce mixture and 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Layer an additional 4 noodles on top of the ricotta mixture and, again, cover with one cup sauce and the remaining cheese mixture. Finally, place the last for noodles on top, cover with the remaining sauce mixture and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan.
Step 5 – Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until bubbling around the edges. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy…and be sure to freeze your left overs – this makes a perfect freezer meal!
