Tuesday, November 16, 2010

tasty tuesday- lasagna a la lexi!

Happy Tuesday, and today I am sharing a new favorite. Maybe not new, exactly, as I've always loved lasagna, but until recently, I had never tried making it! Growing up, I don't remember my mother making it- I feel as though she said it was time consuming, and maybe it was, if you boil the lasagna noodles, which I don't ;)
I first made this a few weeks ago, and Steve loves it...so, it's become a favorite of ours!

Lasagna a la Lexi

1 lb. ground beef (or turkey, if you prefer)
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup sliced black olives (optional)
1 pinch each- basil, garlic powder, oregano, sage, black pepper, minced garlic and onion flakes (I do large pinches, as I am very generous with spices!)
1 jar maranara sauce
1/2 package lasagna noodles (no bake noodles- I don't precook them)
1 large container ricotta cheese
1 bag mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. brown the beef in a large skillet over med-high heat. drain excessive grease, stir in water, olives and spices. simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often. stir in maranara sauce and then remove from heat

2. place a layer of meat/sauce mixture at the bottom of a 9x13" pan. cover with dry noodles (three across). spread layer of rocotta cheese over noodles, sprinkle with mozzarella. cover with layer of meat/sauce and then repeat until pan is full.

3. bake 45 minutes at 375*

4. enjoy :)


It is super easy, and you can also improvise. For example, I sometimes use half a jar of maranara sauce and half a jar of another flavor, like garlic or basil. Someone could also add mushrooms, if they like them, which I don't :) I also use a bag of the Italian mixed cheese, so there are four or six different kinds of cheese in there!
Also, the original recipe called for half a pound of ground beef and half a pound of sliced sausage, but that seemed really heavy, so I've never tried it with the sausage. Should I? Or do you agree that that sounds like way too much meat? :)




me, my lasagna and my Scarlet Threads Penelope apron :)
What are you cooking this week? Please share!

3 comments:

KatiePerk said...

Looks delicious! You are too cute!

how i met your father blog said...

another gorgeous apron!! and love the recipe, i'll have to give it a try... i agree, sausage sounds too heavy!

lasagna said...

Lasagna is my family's favorite dinner of all time, lol! My kids never get tired of it. And I'm not about to complain, considering I can make them eat vegetables through my lasagna dishes. Your lasagna recipe sounds really good (looks good, too!). I'd definitely try it with sausages, the kids simply love the smoked ones. :)