Cheesy Lasagna

I made this Cheesy Lasagna for my sister-in-law's baby shower this weekend.  I went with an Italian theme and it seemed like everyone enjoyed the food.  My mom even called me after the shower and told me how good the lasagna was!  If my mom likes it, then it must be good right?  I noticed it was the first thing to be eaten by the guests too.  This Cheesy Lasagna is actually quite simple to make ahead of time.  I did use my homemade tomato sauce, but you can substitute store bought sauce.  I was able to make this cheesy lasagna two days earlier and reheat it in the oven before serving.  I personally think this lasagna was even better after reheating.  Now I wish I made an extra lasagna for myself! Thank you to my cousins Stephanie and Cathy from Petite Therapy for the photos from the baby shower.  They really make this cheesy lasagna look extra delicious!

Cheesy Lasagna

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 box (9 ounces) Barilla lasagna sheets (no boiling required)

2 eggs

15 ounces ricotta cheese

4 cups shredded mozzarella (or Italian mix) cheese

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

6 cups homemade tomato sauce (or your favorite store bought marinara sauce)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease a 13x9 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a bowl, beat eggs and stir in ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella and ½ cup parmesan.

Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce on bottom of baking dish.

First layer 4 uncooked lasagna sheets, 1/3 of ricotta mixture 1 cup of mozzarella and 1 cup of tomato sauce.

Second layer 4 uncooked lasagna sheets, 1/3 of ricotta mixture and 1 ½ cups of tomato sauce.

Third layer 4 uncooked lasagna sheets, remaining ricotta mixture, and 1 cup of tomato sauce.

Last layer 4 uncooked lasagna sheets, remaining tomato sauce, 1 cup of mozzarella and ½ cup parmesan cheese.

Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 50 to 60 minutes.  Uncover and continue baking until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Let stand at least 15 minutes before cutting.

*If making ahead of time, reheat by baking at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes and be sure to cover with foil.  Uncover in the last 5 minutes.

Mushroom Artichoke Pasta

Here is another meatless Monday dish that is great for lunch or dinner.  This pasta dish is creamy and delicious with a nice tang due to the artichoke hearts, lemon flavor, and sour cream.  What is so versatile about this dish is that if you want less tang, you can omit the lemon and/or artichokes, and it would probably still be good.  You could also substitute asparagus for the artichokes too.  I might even add a little half and half or heavy cream instead of sour cream if you don't have one or the other.  I also somewhat cheated on the meatless part because I used chicken stock since I didn't have any vegetable stock on hand.  Oops! 

Mushroom Artichoke Pasta

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

½ onion, diced

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup artichoke hearts, chopped

½ pound pasta (I used campanelle pasta, which is shaped like a small bell or flower.)

½ to ¾ cup chicken stock or vegetable stock

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¼ to ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated

½ cup sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot, bring lightly salted water to a boil for pasta. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 10 minutes or according to package directions.  Drain.

In large pan over medium-low heat, add 2 tablespoons butter. 

 

Add onions and garlic; cook until lightly browned for about 5 minutes.   

Add mushrooms and cook until tender and lightly browned for about 5 minutes. 

Add in artichokes.  Stir in chicken stock, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in sour cream.   

Add in cooked pasta and parmesan cheese.  Toss to coat pasta well.  

Serve immediately.  Garnish with additional grated parmesean cheese if desired.  Enjoy!