This lasagna recipe is made with tomato meat sauce layered with lasagna noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and baked to perfection. It is the perfect meal to serve when you need to feed a crowd. Maybe it’s a big family gathering, a potluck at work, or perhaps you’re just having company over to entertain.

For the base of this lasagna I used my recipe for spaghetti tomato meat sauce. If you don’t have time to prepare the meat sauce, you can always just use jarred tomato sauce and add some cooked ground meat or vegetables to make it a little heartier.

Want to learn a little time saving tip when making a lasagna? Don’t boil your noodles! Not boiling your noodles not only saves time but also the fuss of having to dirty another pot. You may be wondering how the noodles actually get cooked? The sauce essentially helps cook the uncooked lasagna noodles while it’s baking in the oven. The noodles cook perfectly in the sauce however this method may result in your lasagna not being quite as saucy. If you prefer a saucier lasagna, then I recommend adding a little more sauce or of course you can just boil your noodles.

Another way to save some time is preparing the lasagna ahead of time to refrigerate or freeze before baking. This especially works well for me when I have family or guests staying over. When I’m ready to cook, all I have to do is pop the lasagna in the oven. I sometimes prefer to make meals ahead of time that way I have more time to spend with family and friends.

Lasagna always pairs well with a great big salad, some garlic bread, a bottle of your favorite red wine, and lots of family and friends.

Let’s get to cookin’! Here’s what you’ll need…

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. package of lasagna noodles
• 30 oz. ricotta cheese
• 16 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
• 6 oz. parmesan cheese, shredded
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tbsp. dried parsley
• 2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 egg
• 8 cups tomato meat sauce

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. For cooked lasagna noodles before layering, boil your noodles according to package instructions, until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water in a colander, shake off excess water, and set aside.

3. Using a mixer, blend together ricotta cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, seasonings, and egg.

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4. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

5. In the baking dish, assemble your first set of layers with 2 cups of tomato meat sauce, lasagna noodles, and 1/3 of the cheese mixture.

For this demonstration I decided to use a little time saving trick and layer the lasagna with uncooked lasagna noodles, rather than boiling them ahead of time as referenced in step #2.

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6. Repeat this set of layers two more times.

7. After completing all three sets of layers, top with the remaining meat sauce and mozzarella cheese.

8. Cover with foil. To prevent sticking, spray the foil with cooking spray before covering lasagna.

9. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

10. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

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