Lasagna is a dish best made with love. It is perhaps known as one of the most comforting and filling dishes that the entire family loves. If you have ever made it from scratch, you will know how time-consuming it can be to prep each layer and perfectly assemble the dish. Here is a quick and easy lasagna you can make any night of the week.
Making it from scratch
Many lasagna recipes involve a baking dish of some sort and layers of noodles, sauce, and cheese. Healthier versions often include veggies and slices of butternut or creamy spinach. The basics still stay the same regardless of how it is cooked and prepared.
The best dishes are made with freshly prepared ingredients. For an extra touch, try making your own lasagna pasta sheets and use a homemade tomato or marinara sauce. With this recipe, store-bought sauce and noodles will work just fine if you don’t have enough time.
Dutch Oven Lasagna
This recipe is full of veggies and cheese. It is the perfect meal to help soothe the stress and worries that come with life. Try this easy-to-make recipe, store it in the freezer for a quick heat-and-eat meal for busy weeknights. This recipe is also perfect for camping trips!
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage, ground beef works best
- 12 oven-ready lasagna noodles
- 3 cups marinara sauce or homemade tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 onion finely sliced or diced
- 2 large carrots, diced into small pieces
- 1 large zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
- 1 cup of finely chopped spinach
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp onion and garlic powder
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Optional: 1 cup bacon bits
- Herbs: 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tbsp dried Italian herbs, a handful of fresh basil finely chopped
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese and extra to serve
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch Oven*. Saute the onions, diced carrots, and the chopped spinach. Add the garlic cloves when the onions turn translucent.
- Break the ground beef up into the dutch oven, saute as you crumble the sausage. Cook for about 5 minutes until thoroughly cooked. Stir in the dried oregano and Italian herbs. Rub the herbs between your fingers over the pot; this will release more flavor from the herbs.
- Add the tomato or marinara sauce and stir to combine well. Add a cup of water and bring to a simmer; reduce the heat to medium or medium-low heat. Allow the sauce mixture to simmer for a few minutes.
- In a small bowl, crack the egg and lightly beat it; add the ricotta cheese (use cottage cheese if you prefer). Beat the mixture until well combined. Fold in the onion and garlic powder, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to taste. Set aside the ricotta mixture.
Assembly:
- Remove the meat sauce from heat. Carefully place sheets of lasagna noodles on top of the sauce; using a spoon push them down until sauce covers each noodle sheet. Arrange the sheets to spread evenly across the Dutch Oven.
- Drop spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture on top gently spread it across the dish. Be careful not to mix the ricotta into the tomato sauce too much. Arrange the zucchini slices on top of the sauce neatly. The top layer of zucchini should form a kind of crust. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Carefully place the Dutch Oven into the oven to bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and allow to cook for another 10 minutes. The cheese on top should be golden and bubbling. If not, place the lasagna under the grill for 2- 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5 – 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve hot topped with extra parmesan and a delicious Caprese salad and freshly baked Italian Bruchetta.
*Note: Make sure your dutch oven is stovetop safe. Not all dutch ovens can be used outside an oven. Most cast-iron Dutch Ovens (like the one) are safe for this method of cooking.
Lasagna is Love
Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food. It is universally loved and is one of the easiest to make meals that you can hide veggies in, so even the fussiest eater can enjoy this tasty and easy meal!
