Wednesday Dinner: Lasagna

Lasagna is one of those things that look very complicated to make but actually pretty easy to make. This recipe is as simple as it gets...

Lasagna (for 4 people):
Lean ground beef (1/4 pound)
Diced onion (1 medium)
Minced garlic (3 cloves)
Olive oil (1/2 Tbsp)
Canned whole tomatoes (28 oz can) - chopped
Salt
Pepper
Dried parsley (2 Tbsp)
Chopped fresh basil (10 leaves)
Dried lasagna pasta (6 sheets) - enough to make two layers that cover a casserole
Cheese (a lot!) - I used a combination of shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese

1. Boil water with salt for pasta. Cook pasta following the direction on the box.
2.Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Sauté onion with a pinch of salt until tender. Turn the heat up to medium high and add ground beef and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauteé well until meat is mostly cooked. Add tomatoes and garlic in. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add parsley in the last 5 minutes and add basil in the last second.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the meat sauce in a casserole just enough to cover the bottom. Add cheese to cover the sauce.
4. Layer it with pasta.
5. Add the meat sauce just enough to cover the pasta. Add cheese and layer it with pasta.
6. Add the rest of the meat sauce. Add more cheese. Bake for 10-20 minutes until bubbly and cheese is lightly brown.

Serve it with a big bowl of salad.

I know that typically lasagna has ricotta cheese in it, but I'm not too crazy about that texture. Of course, you can add ricotta with other cheesy cheese like mozzarella.

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