Simple Homemade Lasagna

This recipe was originally posted on my Thoughtful Eats column on the Woburn Patch.

Simple Homemade Lasagna

Ingredients

1lb of ground beef

garlic powder

salt and pepper

extra light olive oil

1 jar of marinara

1 cup of pasta water

1 package of lasagna noodles

4 cups of ricotta cheese

2 eggs

shredded mozzarella cheese 

Preheat oven to 380 degrees

Start a large pot of water boiling. Cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions. While that is working, heat up a large skillet with some olive oil. When the oil starts to sizzle, add the ground beef. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Once the meat is cooked, drain the extra fat. Add the marinara sauce (minus a few tablespoons) and a cup of the pasta water to the pan. Stir and cook on low for a few minutes.

Add your cooked noodles to a bowl of cold water. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, add the ricotta cheese, 2 eggs and season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

Take your lasagna pan and add the extra few tablespoons of the marinara to the bottom and coat. This will help prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom.

Layer noodles, then half the ricotta mixture, then noodles, then 1/3 of the meat sauce, then noodles and repeat. Cover the top with the last of the meat sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan then cook for an additional 15 minutes so the cheese can start to brown. Serve hot or at room temperature. Enjoy!