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easy lasagna in baking dish

Lasagna

  • Author: Ashlea Carver
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 55 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Author: Ashlea Carver
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 55 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 12 lasagna noodles
  • 2 zucchini, sliced thinly lengthwise
  • 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

For the Sauce

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 225oz jars marinara sauce
  • 1 parmesan rind
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup roughly chopped spinach

For the Ricotta Filling

  • 16 oz whole-milk ricotta
  • juice of half lemon
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1 cup grated parmesan
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil

Method

  1. Make the Sauce: Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground sausage and ground beef. Brown the meat, breaking it up as it cooks. Once the meat is brown, add in the minced garlic and Italian seasoning. Sauté for 2-3 more minutes or until the meat is fully cooked through and the garlic is fragrant. Add the marinara sauce, parmesan rind, dried bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined, lower to low heat, and simmer the sauce, covered, for 15-20 minutes. After the sauce has simmered, discard the bay leaf and stir in the chopped spinach until wilted. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  2. Make the Ricotta Filling: Add the ricotta, lemon juice, black pepper, parmesan, parsley, and chopped basil to a mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
  3. Boil the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles to the boiling hot water and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking. Remove the noodles from the water and drain.
  4. Assemble the Lasagna: Pour roughly 1 cup of sauce to the casserole dish and spread it out to coat the bottom of the dish. Add 4 lasagna noodles, lengthwise, to the casserole dish (it’s ok if the edges overlap a little bit), then spread a heaping 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, next sprinkle over 1 1/4 cups of mozzarella cheese, next lay down a layer of sliced zucchini horizontally, and then spread out 2 cups of meat sauce. Repeat for the second layer, using all of the remaining zucchini slices. For the third and final layer, you will skip the zucchini and mozzarella cheese. Instead add a layer of noodles, the ricotta mixture, and then pour over any remaining meat sauce.
  5. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes until the lasagna is bubbly around the edges.
  6. Remove the lasagna from the oven and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and starts to become golden brown.
  7. Let the lasagna sit for 15-20 minutes and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley or basil before serving.