I can’t even tell you how many times after slaving away in the kitchen all day and producing what I expect to be a great meal, my husband sighs and says, “can’t you just make something normal?”. Really? Really?! Well here ya go, honey! A classic lasagna with no “abnormal” ingredients.
Well, not totally normal. I did make my own ricotta. I promise, it is so easy though you’ll wonder why you never made it before! Plus I did not have ricotta in my refrigerator, but did have milk and heavy cream on hand.
I love using the pre-seasoned canned tomatoes when I want to make a quick recipe. Plus, it’s nice that they already have basil in them because my garden certainly does not this time of year. (Midwest problems) The only thing I am growing right now is a half-dead parsley plant. Sometimes it just makes more sense to buy something that was canned when the veggies were fresh!
This is a great, classic lasagna recipe for when your husband requests something “normal”. Comfort food at it’s finest, and it can also be made ahead of time, which is always a bonus! If you like this recipe, and would like a chance to win a lasagna kit, head on over to Red Gold’s FB page to enter!
Red Gold Classic Lasagna, from Red Gold
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 (28 ounce) can Red Gold® Crushed Tomatoes, or 2 (15 ounce) cans Red Gold Crushed Tomatoes
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans Red Gold® Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic & Oregano
- Salt to taste
- 1 pound Laura's 92% Lean Ground Beef, or any ground beef or Italian sausage, cooked and drained
- 1 (16 ounce) box traditional lasagna noodles, uncooked
- 1 (15 ounce) carton low fat ricotta cheese
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350o F.
In large mixing bowl combine water, crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes, salt and ground beef, stir to combine ingredients.
Cover the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan with 1½ cups of sauce mixture. Arrange 1/3 of noodles on top of sauce, slightly overlapped. Top with ½ of ricotta cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of sauce. Repeat layers and top with last 1/3 of noodles and the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 to 1½ hours; until noodles are cooked. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
The recipe makes 12 servings, but you could divide the recipe into two 9x9 inch baking dishes and freeze one.
https://www.theculinaryenthusiast.com/2015/01/20/classic-lasagna-with-red-gold-tomatoes/*Sidenote: the husband also thoroughly enjoyed an “abnormal” lasagna a few weeks later flavored by roasted butternut squash and goat cheese.
