I made this for dinner tonight. It’s based on a recipe from a source you might recognize but that I won’t mention here. From what I hear they’ll come heavy if they hear you’ve made one of their recipes and, god forbid, told anybody about it.
We really enjoyed this and thought it was as satisfying as a traditionally baked lasagne but really quick and simple to throw together. The only tricky part is in the simmering. You must stir it occasionally and keep it over a low flame to prevent the noodles from sticking and scorching.
Here’s how it goes.
- 1lb lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes drained, plus enough water to make 2 1/2 cups.
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 lb lasagne noodles broken into 1″ pieces
- 1 1/2 c shredded fresh mozzarella
- 8 oz ricotta cheese
Brown the beef in a deep skillet, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste over high heat. You can season the meat any way you’d like, however you would season it for making spaghetti sauce etc. (I added a little garlic powder for good measure). Remove from pan and set aside. You’ll need about a tablespoon of drippings in the pan to cook the onions and garlic, if you have any more than that you can discard it.
Turn the heat down to medium high and add the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt. Stir, scraping up any loosened bits for 3-5 minutes until the onions soften slightly.
Add the tomatoes, reserving their juices in a measuring cup and adding enough water to make 2 1/2 cups and add that too. Add a hefty pinch of salt for the pasta, the oregano and stir in the broken noodles. Brink the pot to a simmer, cover and turn heat to low. Continue to simmer the mixture of 20 minutes or until noodles are cooked.
When the noodles are cooked through turn off the heat, adjust the seasoning, add the cooked beef and stir in the mozzarella cheese. Dollop the ricotta over top by heaping tablespoonful, cover and let sit for 3 minutes.
Serve and enjoy! We ate this with a salad of baby spinach on the side. I’ll be eating it for lunch tomorrow, I’m sure it will make good leftovers. It makes at least enough for 4, but maybe 6 smallish portions served with a good salad and bread.
