Lasagna Dinner at Heart and Home

Welcome back everyone , thank you for stopping by!  Today I'm joining  Michael for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.   Stop by there after you're done here for a look at some more seriously delicious recipes.

I had a small crowd over for dinner last weekend to help celebrate my husband's  birthday. I wanted to prepare something that would warm us up and wouldn't keep me standing at the stove all day. The perfect food? Lasagna! ( The actual recipe is at the bottom of this post.)

First you boil to "al dente" a package of lasagna noodles:

Then comes the best part, mixing the cheeses and eggs. Yum, so good!

To make it really simple I use a couple jars of chunky tomato sauce, and add some browned pork sausage. Then I throw in some wilted spinach for extra taste and nutrition. 

Then comes the layering: a little sauce, pasta, cheese mixture, sauce, repeat.

You want to end the layers with sauce on top.

Add a couple of handfuls of shredded mozerella cheese to finish it off before it goes into the 350 degree oven, covered  for about 50 minutes.

Uncover it and bake it for 10 more minutes, then take it out of the oven and let it rest for 10 more minutes before you cut it.

It's delicious and worth every calorie!

I like to use dry pasta that is boiled til firm. When I'm in a hurry I use a good quality sauce from a jar.

You can't tell the difference that much, and it's easier!

Here's the recipe:

Lasagna for a small crowd

 (serves 8-10)

 grease the bottom of a 15"x 10" pan

preheat oven to 350 degrees

ingredients needed:

 1 package lasagna noodles, cooked til still firm

 6-8 cups home-made tomato sauce, or 2-3 jars ready made (marinara)

1 lb ground pork sausage

2-3 cups clean spinach leaves

16 ounces ricotta cheese ( or low fat ricotta cheese)

4 cups shredded mozerella cheese

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 eggs, lightly beaten

In a large bowl combine ricotta cheese, 3 1/2 cups mozerella cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese with 2 lightly beaten eggs. Stir until well combined, set aside.

Pour one cup plain tomato sauce into prepared pan. Spread evenly over bottom.

Brown pork sausage, drain and add to tomato sauce in large pot. Wilt spinach in pan with pork juices. Add to sauce. Heat sauce over medium heat for 10- 15 minutes.

Layer 5-6 noodles over plain sauce in bottom of pan. (Lay noodles side by side lenghtwise in pan, slightly overlapping edges.)

Spoon 1/2 cheese mixture over noodles, spreading evenly.

Pour 1/2 sauce, sausage, and spinach mixture over cheese.

Repeat layers, ending with sauce.

Put 1-2 handfuls of shredded mozerella cheese over sauce. Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese over all.

Cover with foil. Bake 50 - 60 minutes. Remove foil, bake 10 minutes more or until browned and bubbly.

Remove from oven, allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with a green salad and crusty bread for a delicious, satisfying, filling meal!

 This tastes even better the next day, if you're lucky enough to have any leftovers! (It even tastes good cold, right out of the fridge, but don't let anyone know I told you that!)

That's all for now! I hope you'll leave me a comment and let me know if you're going to try this recipe! I"ll be gone for a few days. I'm off for a secret destination with my husband - March 12  we are celebrating our 22nd anniversary. We eloped in 1988, married by a sweet, elfin minister with one witness, candelight, and a sunset over the snow and water at Lake Tahoe.  Thank you, honey, for everything. "You are the man."  You're the only one I want to go through life's ups and downs with. I love you.

                          March 12, 1988

Until next time,

XO

Heidi