THE Lasagna from Homemade Simple by Amanda Hass

Looking for a crowd pleasing dish that’s as comforting as it is wholesome? This gluten free lasagna (swap GF noodles for regular if you prefer) from Amanda Haas’s Homemade Simple is perfect for busy weeknights or sharing at a potluck. Packed with flavor and thoughtfully designed for real life, it’s one of those recipes that proves healthy cooking doesn’t have to mean complicated cooking. With Haas’s stress free approach, you’ll have a bubbling pan of lasagna ready to serve in no time, delicious enough to satisfy everyone at the table.

THE Lasagna Recipe from Homemade Simple by Amanda Haas

I used to spend hours making my mom’s lasagna, cookie the sauce from scratch and boiling the noodles before baking, which was always a sticky mess! Then one day, pressed for time, I used no-boil gluten-free noodles (my favorite brand is Jovial no-bake gluten-free noodles) and jarred pasta sauce. Everyone raved at the results! This is now my go-to recipe. Jarred pasta sauces have come a long way- it’s now easy to find organic, tomato-based pasta sauces that aren’t loaded with sugar and cost only a few bucks. You can assemble the lasagna in the morning and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake it, or bake it over the weekend, then let people reheat it by the slice all week long. (We can’t seem to keep a baked one in the fridge for more than a day or two!) I love the addition of a layer of Classic Basil Pest (page 51).

Prep: 20 minutes

Cooke: 55 to 75 minutes

Makes 8 to 12 servings

Ingredients:

4 cups (1pound/455 g) shredded mozzarella

¾ cup (75 g) grated Parmesan

15 ounces (430 g) whole-milk ricotta

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Two (25-ounce/710g) jars tomato-basil or marinara sauce

1 package (12 noodles) no-bake lasagna noodles (regular or gluten-free)

½ cup (120 ml) pesto, homemade (page 51) or store-bought

Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. (190C)

1.     In a small bowl, combine 1 cup (110 g) of the mozzarella and ¼ cup (25 g) of the Parmesan. Set aside to top the lasagna.

2.     In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 3 cups (330 g) of mozzarella with the ricotta and remaining ½ cup (50 g) of Parmesan. Stir to combine. Taste, adding a few grindings of pepper if desired. Add the egg and stir to combine.

3.     To assemble the lasagna, spread a few tablespoons of tomato sauce across the bottom of an 8 by 12-inch (20 by 30.5-cm) or 9 by 13-inch (23 by 33-cm) baking dish. Place 4 of the lasagna noodles crosswise in the pan, letting them overlap a bit if necessary. (If the noodles you are using cover the length of the pan, place 3 of the noodles lengthwise to create the first layer.)

4.     Drop half of the ricotta cheese mixture in spoonfuls across the noodles. Spread it out evenly with a rubber spatula. Pour half of the pesto over the ricotta mixture and spread it out evenly with the spatula. Then spread one-third of the tomato sauce over to cover evenly.

5.     Repeat with another layer of noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, the remaining pesto, and on-third of the tomato sauce.

6.     Add the final layer of noodles, then the remaining sauce, ensuring the noodles are totally covered with the sauce.  

7.     Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan over the entire lasagna.  

8.     Cover the pan tightly with a piece of aluminum foil. Place it on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes.  Lift a corner of the foil and insert a knife in the lasagna. If it easily punctures the noodles, remove the foil and bake another 5 minutes until bubbly.  If not, cover it again and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

9.     Allow the lasagna to cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing.  Serve immediately. 

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