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No-Boil Lasagna Recipes |  |
Who knew that lasagna noodles needn't be cooked before baking the lasagna? Here are two oh-so-easy lasagna recipes, one for a 'personal pan lasagna' perfect for cooking for one or two, another for lasagna made in the crockpot.
“I never cook anymore, now that it’s just me,” say women, especially, once their families are grown and their husbands gone. Often, it’s just easier to rely on frozen meals. That means no cooking, no waste and no clean-up – but to my mind, no pleasure, either. So I’ve been working on recipes especially suited for cooking for one or two, ones which I hope perfectly blend convenience and freshness, flavor and pleasure.
CROCKPOT LASAGNA For busy, hungry families, just double the spinach mixture, then build layers in a slow cooker, increasing other quantities proportionately. Be generous with the bottom layer of spaghetti sauce so there’s enough liquid for the first layer of noodle to cook but not burn. Cook on high for about 2 hours, then turn to low, sprinkle with cheese and let finish cooking for about an hour. Slow cookers vary so much, please consider the timing as suggestions not absolutes. Serves four or more.
My favorite brand, however, is from Dreamfields
, which produces low-glycemic pasta that’s perfect for diabetics and those who follow low-carb diets.
QUICK SUPPER:
PERSONAL PAN LASAGNA
Time to table: 1-1/4 hours
Serves 1
-
SPINACH MIXTURE
- 1 pound frozen spinach
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped fine
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 8 ounces part-skim ricotta
- Salt & pepper to taste
-
PER SERVING
- 1 cup spinach mixture
- 1/2 cup favorite spaghetti sauce
- 1 uncooked lasagna noodle, broken to fit
- 1 tablespoon grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 350F.
Place spinach in a microwave safe dish, cover with plastic wrap and cook in microwave for about 5 minutes or until fully thawed. Put into a colander and press to remove excess liquid. Stir in onion, Italian seasoning, ricotta, salt and pepper. Makes 2 cups, enough for two generous personal pan lasagnas.
For each personal serving, layer in an oven-safe bowl about the size of a cereal bowl: a spoonful of spaghetti sauce, just enough to wet bottom; noodle; spaghetti sauce; ½ cup spinach mixture; spaghetti sauce; noodle; ½ cup spinach mixture; spaghetti sauce. Bake for 45 minutes. Top with mozzarella, bake another 15 minutes.
More Recipes for Cooking for One or Two
~ more recipes for cooking for one or two ~
More Easy Pasta Recipes
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I've been making this spinach lasagna for years (although I never thought of putting Italian seasoning into the spinach!) without boiling my noodles first. I believe I read this on the back of a Barilla package. It sure is a time-saver!
ReplyDeleteSally ~ It's so hard to know whether I'm the 'first' or the 'last' to discover a good trick. Obviously, it got to Barilla and Iowa!
ReplyDeleteI've been making lasagne since I was an exchange student in Denmark (that's many moons ago:), and only boiled the noodles once - to a disastrous result, as they got stuck to each other. Since then I've always been wondering why anyone would write a recipe asking for that. As long as your sauces are juicy, the lasagne sheets soften easily.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite brand is Barilla- their lasagne sheets are positively silky :P