Yummy Lasagna

This is Lasagna is adapted from Mollie Katzen’s cookbook: “Honest Pretzels”. I loved this cookbook when I was a kid. Its an awesome book, with easy step-by-step instructions, along with graphics. It taught me how to cook some really awesome recipes, and got me excited about cooking.  Mollie, is an awesome lady and you can learn more about her, by going to her website: http://www.molliekatzen.com/.

This recipe, is so delicious! It is pretty much the same as Molly’s, but it has my own personal spin on in. The main difference is that my recipe has meat in it, and Molly’s doesn’t. One of the things that I LOVE about it is that you don’t have to cook the noodles beforehand. The moisture from the sauce cooks the noodles while the lasagna is in the oven.

Yummy Chicken-Basil Lasagna

Sauce
1 TBS Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 small packet of ground chicken (about 1.5 kg in weight)
3 cups of tomato-basil pasta sauce
1 cup of water

Ricotta Filling
4 cups of ricotta cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, crushed
15 fresh basil leaves, torn into large pieces
1 TBS lemon zest
2 tsp ground black pepper

Lasagna Makings
6 cups grated mozzarella
15 uncooked lasagna noodles
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375F

To make the sauce, heat the oil in the pan and add the onion. Cook until golden, then add the chicken. Stir, until chicken turns white. Then add the tomato sauce and the water. Bring to a boil, then set simmer for 15 minutes.

While sauce is simmering make the ricotta filling, by mixing all of the filling ingredients in a bowl.

To make the Lasagna start by putting a cup of sauce in the bottom of a 10 by 12 inch baking pan. Then place 5 noodles in the pan, breaking them up as needed to they fit. Follow with a ⅓ of the ricotta cheese mixture in blobs. Sprinkle a ⅓ of the mozzarella, and spread on ⅓ of the sauce. Repeat these steps, until you have used up all the ingredients.  Then cover the pan with tinfoil and put into the oven, cook for 45 minutes.

Once the 45 minutes is over, take out of the oven and take off the tinfoil. sprinkle on the ½ of the remaining Parmesan cheese and place back in the oven. Broil for three to five minutes until the top is bubbly and brown. Take out of the oven, and let rest for 15 minutes before eating.

Serve with salad, bread, or both! ENJOY :)