I love lasagna but I don’t like how long it usually takes to make. There are shortcuts but it is still a time consuming and labor intensive process. This recipe is all done in one pot and takes less than an hour to make. Less mess and less hassle. This will feed 4 hungry adults and should still have some leftovers for lunch.
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes
Total Cost ≈ $15 – $20
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1lb ground beef or Italian sausage
- 1 large onion diced
- 4-8 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- 6-8 cups of chicken stock or broth
- 1 box Lasagna noodles broken or any macaroni noodle
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 8 oz Ricotta cheese
- Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Parsley, Pepper, & Salt (add 1 tsp plus additional to taste for all except the salt; triple the amounts if using fresh versus dried)
- Parmesan or Romano cheese optional
*Note: I use homemade chicken stock and “no salt added” tomato products so my soup has much less sodium because I add the salt myself. If you use store bought broth and regular tomato products taste your soup before adding any additional salt.
Steps:
In a large stock pot heat oil over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until brown. If there is a large amount of fat drain a majority off (some fat is good for flavor). Add the onions and saute until tender. Add garlic and cook for additional 30 seconds. Add all cans of tomato products and 6 cups of chicken stock. Add all herbs & spices to taste. Bring to a boil. Add noodles (and additional 2 cups of chicken stock if you would like your soup to be soupier/thinner. It will be more stew like if you only do 6 cups), reduce to medium-low and simmer 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until noodles are tender.
To serving place soup in a bowl, add large dollop of Ricotta and a handful shredded mozzarella on top (plus the Parmesan if desired). You could add the entire container of Ricotta to the pot, mixing well, before serving but I wouldn’t recommend adding the mozzarella cheese this way. Serve with some toasted Italian bread.
Enjoy!
Money Savers & Tips
To keep your cost closer to the $15 range make your own chicken stock. Follow this recipe here.
Breaking lasagna noodles by hand is not as easy as it sounds. Place all noodles in a Ziploc bag and hit with a small mallet until they are bite sized pieces. Or replace with Farfalle, Fusilli, or Rigatoni.
If using ground Italian Sausage, try using low sodium chicken broth and “no salt added” tomato products. Sausage is usually saltier than beef so it’s best to add your own salt. Don’t forget that Ricotta and Mozzarella cheese add some saltiness to the final product.
Mommy Outside The Box 