Lasagna
This simple and delicious lasagna recipe is perfect for those special occasions when you want to go above and beyond for dinner. You’ll love it because it feeds a large group and, as a classic italian recipe, is generally a crowd pleaser! It’s my go-to when hosting a dinner party and is also our family tradition meal for Thanksgiving-eve and Christmas-eve.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 3 24 oz jars pasta sauce
- 1 24 oz jar vodka sauce
- 1 16 oz box lasagna noodles oven-ready
- 1 32 oz ricotta cheese
- 4 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp italian seasoning
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Brown ground beef.2 lbs ground beef
- While ground beef is cooking, combine pasta sauce, vodka sauce, and seasoning in a large glass bowl.3 24 oz jars pasta sauce, 1 24 oz jar vodka sauce, 6 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp italian seasoning, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- Add ¼ cup of water to each sauce jar, and swish to collect the remnants of sauce. Coat the bottom of your baking dish with this liquid to prevent the noodles from sticking.
- Add cooked ground beef to the sauce mixture. Optionally, drain ground beef before adding it to the sauce mixture.
Building each lasagna layer
- Spread an even layer of noodles in the bottom of the baking dish.1 16 oz box lasagna noodles
- Spread half of the sauce mixture evenly across the noodles.
- Spread half of the ricotta evenly across the sauce layer. The easiest way to do this is by scooping small spoonfuls out across the sauce layer, and then spreading it.1 32 oz ricotta cheese
- Spread half of the mozzarella cheese evenly across ricotta layer.4 cups mozzarella cheese
- Repeat the last 4 steps to add another layer of noodles, sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until lasagna is hot and bubbling in the center.