Go Back

Mary's Lasagna

This recipe is so flexible~add turkey, beef, sausage if you want or substitute the noodles for zucchini
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Servings 10 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large jar Rao's Homemade Marinara or any flavor you like
  • 1 box oven ready lasagna noodles
  • 1 cup grated whole-milk low moisture mozzarella (can use pre-shredded)
  • 1/2 cup grated Romano (or Parmesan) (can use pre-shredded)
  • olive oil for baking dish
  • 4 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

For the Filling

  • 16 oz ricotta cheese (whole or skim milk)
  • 1/2 cup shredded whole milk low-moisture mozzarella (can use pre-shredded)
  • 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese (can use Parmesan)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 large egg
  • freshly ground pepper

Instructions
 

For the Filling

  • Stir all the filling ingredients together in a large bowl.

To Assemble

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix the remaining mozzarella and Romano together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • Lightly coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with oil.
  • Spoon enough tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish to thinly coat. Add the manufacturer's suggested amount of water for the oven-ready lasagna noodles. I add 1/2 cup.
  • Arrange the noodles in rows down the length of the dish. There may be a bit of space but that is okay. Dot half of the filling mixture and carefully spread it over the noodles in a thin layer. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the basil, then top with sauce (approximately 3/4 cup).
    If you'd like to add sprinkle some mozzarella and Romano cheese too, that's fine
  • Repeat with another layer of noodles, filling, basil and sauce and some cheese.
  • Finish with a layer of noodles and add more sauce. Top the casserole with the Mozzarella and Romano cheeses. Cover tightly with foil (and remove foil 10 minutes before final baking time).
  • Place the baking dish on a baking sheet. Bake until bubbly and golden-brown, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, and then sprinkle with the remaining basil.

Notes

Notes: If you want to add meat (ground turkey/beef), sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until softened.  Add meat and brown. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and other seasonings you enjoy. Drain off any excess fluid.  Add the meat between the noodle layers.  Or cooked up a bit of spicy Italian sausage and add.
If you would like to substitute zucchini for the pasta noodles, thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise.  Line zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with salt.  The salt will draw out the moisture.  Let sit for 15 minutes to drain.  Blot moisture off the zucchini and then arrange the zucchini in rows down the length of the dish. I use a mandoline slicer to make sure my zucchini are about 1/4 inch thick. 
If you have more ingredients, I tend to make more layers, depending on the size of my baking dish.