Dinner
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I don’t think there’s ever been a time that anyone has ever sat down to the dinner table and said, “Lasagna for dinner? Nooooo…”. No, that just doesn’t happen. Lasagna is always the right choice and and always more than welcome at our table!
I’ve dabbled around with a few different lasagna recipes, some loaded with veggies and some without any. This recipe is my happy medium and now my standard, with just enough veggies to make you feel like all is right in the world, but not enough to scare away the meat lasagna purists who flinch at the sight of “veggie specks” on their plate. I didn’t go too crazy on the veggies, only adding spinach, onions, and peppers and they’re chopped quite small so they just melt into the saucy cheesy goodness.
This recipe makes a 9×9 pan of lasagna, but I realized after starting to layer that I was using an 8×8, so I improvised and threw the rest of the ingredients into these adorable mini crocks! If I had 12 of them to make the entire recipe in these little guys, you bet I would have done it. So adorable!
Depending on what your cooking schedule is, lasagna is so forgiving whenever you decide to make it. I’m even going to venture to say that I like it better for 2nd round leftovers than the first time. It gets that crispy top layer with toasty cheese and some crunch in the noodle which is to die for! Kev and I were scheming last night and decided that someday we’re going to just spread out a single layer of lasagna noodles, sauce, and cheese on a giant baking sheet and bake until its got that crispy top layer that we all love.
Pair this lasagna with a beautiful side caesar salad and some crusty bread and you’ll have a very happy household.
3 Cheese Classic Lasagna
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 package lasagna noodles
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (affiliate)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cooked italian sausage, crumbled
- 2 cups of your favorite pasta sauce (affiliate)
- 1 cup ricotta
- 3/4 cup cottage cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh italian parsley, chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Prepare lasagna noodles according to box directions.
- In large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add crumbled sausage to the mixture followed by pasta sauce. Cover and simmer on medium low for 10 minutes.
- While sauce is simmering, combine ricotta, cottage cheese, chopped parsley, egg, salt, and black pepper in medium bowl. Mix to combine.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease 9 x 9 baking dish.
- To assemble lasagna, place a layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish, then follow by a layer of noodles and a layer of the cheese mixture. Repeat 2 more times, but on your final cheese layer substitute the mozzarella for the ricotta mixture.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and cheese on top is starting to brown.
Other Lasagna Recipes You’ll Love!
Pressure Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna Roll-Ups