While this is good, it is not a traditional lasagna per se. My kids won’t eat green (parsley) or tomato chunks etc. This is one of their favorite meals. It is fast and easy to make. I use the no-bake noodles from Barilla. It is pretty much the same as the recipe on the pasta box. That exact recipe was a bit dry. The brand of noodle will make a difference. Not all no boil noodles are equal.
Here are the ingredients.
1 pound 85-90% ground beef
1 jar basil spaghetti sauce
8 ounces tomato sauce
8 ounces water
2 eggs
1 box of Barilla no boil lasagna noodles
8 ounces shredded mozarella
12 ounces ricotta
1 cup parmesan cheese
Brown the meat. While it cooks over medium heat, break it up into tiny pieces using the spatula. Drain it in a colander to remove grease. Return it to the pan. Add the tomato sauce, pasta sauce and water. Simmer on low uncovered for 30-40 minutes. The lower percent ground beef will taste better than using the 95% fat free beef. It will also keep the lasagna from being dry. When my kids are not eating with us, I pour a tablespoon of red pepper flakes into the sauce or use spicy italian sausage instead of ground beef.
In a bowl mix the ricotta, 1/2 of the mozarella, eggs, and parmesan.
I use a small pan. It is 8×10. No oils is needed to the pan. Preheat the oven to 350. Know that the noodles cannot overlap. They can be bent and broken into a million pieces and assembled like a mosaic. You will never know once it is cooked. Start with 1/3 of the sauce, then noodles, then 1/2 ricotta cheese mix, then noodles, the 1/3 of the sauce, then noodles, then 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mix, then noodles, then 1/3 of the sauce, and finally the remaining 1/2 of the mozarella.
Cover with foil. Allow to sit in refrigerator for up to 24 hours. I am sure you can bake this immediately if needed. I always make it in the morning or the day before I want it. Bake at 350 covered for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10-15 minutes.
It works really well to spray the foil with cooking spray to keep the cheese from sticking to it before covering. I tried freezing it once. I hate hate hate prepared and frozen foods. They just do not taste fresh. The dish was soggy and the noodles somehow were crunchy. Not ideal.
The Funky Oven 