How to Make Lasagna

Elizabeth Larson

Although Lasagna is a well-known dish, its origin is somewhat of a mystery.  It was always believed to be Italian, until recently when a recipe was discovered in the medieval British cookbook “The Forme of Cury”.  The recipe was for a dish made with layers of pasta and cheese.  The British then claimed that they had in fact invented Lasagna.  The Italians argue that because it does not contain meat, and tomatoes were considered to be poisonous during the 14th century, it is not actually lasagna.  Wherever it came from, Lasagna has become a popular food today.

Ingredients
1 16 oz box of Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles
1 lb of ground beef
1 28 oz jar of the sauce of your choice
1 12 oz can tomato paste
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
4 oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated
8 oz Mozzarella cheese, sliced
Italian seasoning
garlic powder
basil
thyme
minced onions
oregano

1. Pour sauce, paste, and tomatoes into a sauce pan over low heat.  Add seasoning, such as thyme, basil, Italian Seasoning, oregano, onion, and garlic, until it reaches the desired flavor.  Let it simmer, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the meat. This will help bring out the flavor  
2. In a large frying pan cook the ground beef until it is completely browned. As it cooks add some onion, garlic and Italian seasoning for flavor .
3. Put a thin layer (approx. 1 cup) of sauce in the bottom of a greased 9x13x3 inch pan.  Place 4 noodles over the sauce overlapping slightly.  They should not be touching the sides of the pan because they will expand as they cook.
4. Cover the noodles completely with another layer sauce. On top of the sauce put a layer of meat, followed by a layer of mozzarella cheese, and a light layer of parmesan cheese. 
5. Add another layer of noodles, then sauce, then meat, and then cheese.  Continue this sequence until you have competed 4 layers, ending with sauce.  Cover the top with the remaining cheese.
6. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil.  Make sure the foil does not touch the surface of Lasagna. If neccessary, toothpicks can be used to hold it up.  
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes until bubbling.  Uncover for the last 5-10 minutes until cheese is browned. 
8. Let it sit for 15 minutes before eating.
9. Enjoy!

Tips

• If you desire, you can use fresh ingredients, such as onions, oregano, and basil in place of dried ones. This will give your lasagna an even better flavor.
• Instead of using pre-made sauce you can make your own. There are many different sauce recipes that you can use.
• Although this recipe uses Barilla no-boil noodles, any Lasagna noodles can be used. Follow the instructions specific to those noodles.

Variations

• There are different options when it comes to the meat.  Instead of ground beef you can use Italian sausage, chicken, pork, or any other meat you like.
• Ricotta cheese or cottage cheese can be used instead of, or along with the mozzarella and Parmesan.
• To make a vegetarian version of this lasagna, skip the meat and instead use vegetables such as zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, fresh tomatoes, and spinach.  You can also replace the meat with tofu.

Related Recipes

Sauce
Sauce at about.com
Sauce Recipes at Cooks.com

Other Lasagnas
Recipes at allrecipes.com
Recipes at recipesource.com