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If you’re looking for an easier yet still delicious recipe for lasagna, this is it, This lasagna uses pre-made sauce and no boil noodles so you can put this together in less than 30 minutes. These shortcuts save you time without affecting the taste and allow you to have dinner on the table in a little over an hour.
The garlic bread requires a little planning and some time to raise but is still simple and relatively hands-off. The hardest part is remembering to set the frozen bread dough out to thaw early enough. If you forget, there is a backup method for thawing the bread but hopefully you won’t need it.
Directions
For this meal, you’ll need ground Italian sausage, your favorite pasta sauce, ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, no boil noodles, a loaf of frozen bread dough (like Rhodes) eggs and spices.
Garlic Bread
At least 8 hours before you plan to eat, remove the frozen dough from the freezer, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to thaw.
After the dough has thawed, sprinkle a work surface with flower and flatten and stretch the dough into a rectangle. If you forget to thaw the dough, you can defrost it in the microwave. Use a low setting and check it every minute or so. It’s very easy to start cooking the dough, instead of just defrosting it.
Cut the dough lengthwise into 3 equal-sized strips. Stretch and shape the strips until they are approximately 12-16 inches long. Flatten the 3 strips together at the top, and then braid the strips together. Cover the braid with plastic wrap and set aside for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
Then, brush the braid with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until browned.
Lasagna
For the lasagna, dice one medium yellow onion. Add to a skillet along with 1 pound of ground sweet Italian sausage. Add salt, pepper and oregano to taste. Drain, then add 2 jars of pasta sauce and simmer over medium-low heat. I always add a few teaspoons of brown sugar to my sauce; it tempers the acidity from the tomatoes.
While the sauce is simmering, combine the ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, 1/2 of the parmesan cheese and a teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
Next, spray a 13″ x 9″ baking pan with cooking spray and spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture over the bottom of the pan. Place 3 lasagna noodles over the sauce. Leave space between them; they will expand as they cook. Next, spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles and top with another cup of sauce.
Cover the sauce with mozzarella cheese. Repeat with another layer of noodles, the rest of the ricotta mixture, another cup of sauce and cover with mozzarella cheese. Add 3 more noodles for the top layer, pour another cup of sauce (or more if desired) over the noodles and top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes. Allow lasagna to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.
Recipe
Lasagna Ingredients
9 no boil lasagna noodles
32 ounces of ricotta cheese
2 jars of pasta sauce
16 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese
16 ounces of grated parmesan cheese
1 lb of ground Italian sausage
1 medium yellow onion
2 eggs
1-2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
salt, pepper and garlic to taste
Directions:
Dice onion and add to skillet with ground sausage. Saute until brown, drain. Add seasonings and both jars of sauce. Simmer on medium-low heat until onion is soft.
Meanwhile, combine ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, Italian seasoning and 1/2 the parmesan cheese until smooth. Spray a 13 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray and cover bottom of pan with 1 cup of sauce mixture. Place 3 noodles over the sauce, leaving space in between them. Cover with 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, 1cup of sauce then 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat with 3 more noodles, the rest of the ricotta, another cup of sauce and another 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. For the final layer, use remaining noodles, sauce, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5-10 more minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
This dinner is easy and delicious and no one will care that you took a few shortcuts.
If you’re looking for an easy dessert to finish of your meal check out these easy peanut butter concoctions.
