I don’t know about you, but I love lasagna! Of course, I’ve been putting off creating a real food classic lasagna recipe, because often, lasagna can be a bit labor-intensive. And since this site is about living simply, I try to include recipes that are simple and that require little prep time.
But I was craving some good lasagna, and so I decided to give in and just create. Sometimes a meal is worth spending a little extra time on. This recipe is actually pretty simple to make, although it does take a little time. But the results are well worth the time and effort. You can make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free lasagna noodles. I have used them, and it works really well! I will admit that I don’t make this recipe often, but I do make it on occasion, especially if I want to spoil myself a bit! It is perfect with a fresh salad and some garlic bread! Yum!
I do have a grain-free lasagna recipe on the site that uses zucchini “noodles”. It’s super yummy and a perfect solution for those who are avoiding grains.
I always fix this classic lasagna in an 8-inch Pyrex baking dish, which works really well. If you want to fix this for a larger family, you can easily double the recipe, and it works really well!
Classic Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 pound grass fed ground beef
- 4-6 whole brown rice lasagna noodles
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic chopped finely
- 1/2 small onion chopped finely
- 1/2 green pepper chopped finely
- 4 oz. mushrooms chopped finely
- 1 box frozen organic spinach thawed and drained
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
- 24 oz. Spaghetti Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet.
- Add onions, garlic, green pepper and mushrooms and saute until the onions are soft.
- Add ground beef and brown completely.
- Add spaghetti sauce and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup of mozzarella, egg and drained spinach.
- Mix well.
- In an 8×8 baking dish, cover the bottom with a layer of meat sauce.
- Layer on noodles (you may have to cut some noodles in half to fit)
- Spread on layer of cheese mixture.
- Repeat with another layer of meat mixture, noodles and cheese mixture.
- Top with one last layer of meat mixture.
- Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from oven, remove foil and sprinkle on remaining 1/4 cup of mozzarella.
- Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.
