This is the best easy lasagna recipe and perfect for weeknight family meals or entertaining guests at a nice dinner party. It makes for great leftovers and even freezes well. What's not to love about this wonderful lasagna recipe?
Fill large stock pot with 6 quarts of water. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Stir in lasagna pasta and cook to al dente, according to directions on package. Drain and rinse with cold water. Then, brush each piece with olive oil and lay on a cookie sheet until ready to assemble.
Place 2 tbsp olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and pepper and saute until soft and tender. Stir in garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Add meat and use a wooden spoon to break it up. Stir until meat is browned. Add marinara and reduce heat to low simmer. Leave on stove until ready to assemble the lasagna.
In small mixing bowl, combine Ricotta cheese, egg and chopped spinach and mix thoroughly.
Using a rectangular deep baking dish, coat the bottom with remaining olive oil. Ladle about a cup of meat sauce on bottom and spread it evenly.
Assemble the pasta in a single layer over the meat sauce. Spread a tablespoon of the ricotta mixture on each piece of lasagna. Next, even distribute 1 -2 cups of the meat sauce over the Ricotta mixture. Top with a hand full of the Mozzarella cheese and a little pit of the Parmesan cheese. Repeat this process two more times.
Cover the pan of lasagna with foil and place in oven for 45 minutes. Then, remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes and then remove from oven. Allow to rest 15-20 minutes before serving. Serve with additional sauce and cheese if desired.
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Notes
Be sure to squeeze all the water from the thawed frozen spinach. You can thaw it by cutting a slice in the box and then microwaving it for a minute. Or, you can run warm water over the frozen spinach. Either way, use your hands to squeeze out excess water, prior to mixing with Ricotta.Don't skimp on the sauce. It's better to have too much than not enough. Also, take a little extra sauce and heat it up in a small sauce pan. When the lasagna is served, use a ladle to crown the lasagna with some warm sauce from the stove.To freeze this lasagna, double wrap each portion in plastic wrap. When ready to use, defrost it in the microwave and then place in the oven, covered with foil, for abut 15 minutes at 300°F. Top each serving with additional warm sauce.