Lasagna with Homemade Sauce

As a busy mom, I'm always looking for ways to make delicious meals that are also easy to prepare. This lasagna recipe is a perfect example of that. It's made with simple ingredients that you can find at any grocery store, and it comes together in just a few hours.

The best part about this lasagna is that it's incredibly versatile. You can use any type of ground meat you like, and you can add or remove vegetables to suit your taste. I like to use ground turkey and add mushrooms and spinach, but you could use ground beef, sausage, or even chicken. You could also add other vegetables, such as zucchini, bell peppers, or corn.

No matter what ingredients you choose to use, this lasagna is sure to be a hit with your family and friends. It's a hearty and flavorful dish that's perfect for a special occasion or a casual weeknight meal.

Step-by-step

For a 13x9 pan and a little leftover for a smaller pan (5x5?)
1 package of lasagna noodles prepared according to the directions on the box.

Meat Sauce:
In a food processor, process whole tomatoes(cans) till nice and smooth. Set aside.
In a large soup pot(dutch oven), add oil and heat on med till oil is hot. Add onion and cook till soft about 5-7 minutes.
Add ground turkey. Crumble over med heat. Cook till no longer pink.
Add garlic stir and cook for 30 seconds.
Add tomato paste and processed whole tomatoes....stir.
Season with salt, pepper, wine, sugar and spices.
Lower heat, simmer and cook for about 1 hr stirring every so often.

Mushroom Layer:
16 oz sliced mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste
While the sauce is cooking, you can saute the mushrooms in a skillet with a bit of salt on med-high heat till nicely browned.
Set the mushrooms aside.

Ricotta Layer:
32 oz carton of ricotta cheese
3 TBS minced fresh parsley
2-3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4-1/2 cup Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
In a med. bowl mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Bechamel (White) Sauce:
1 TBS olive oil
3 TBS flour
1 1/2 cups milk, if you need more you can add an additional 1/2 cup
1/2 -1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt,pepper, and nutmeg to taste
In a saucepan, add oil and flour.
Stir to combine.
Add milk and stir to combine.
Cook until the mixture is thickened about 3 minutes.
Add cheese.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Set aside.

Assemble the lasagna:
You will need some dried basil for sprinkling in between the layers and on top.
You will need extra shredded mozzarella cheese for layering.
You can use as much or little as you want.
You can also use a mixture to include provolone, spicy jack, fontina, or muenster cheese.
You get the idea!
Grease a 13x9 glass pan.
Place about 1/2 cup of meat sauce on the bottom of the pan and spread it evenly.
Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on top.
Place about 1 cup of meat sauce on top of the noodles add about 1 cup of ricotta cheese spread evenly.
Add some mushrooms.
Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese and basil or skip the mozzarella if you want it even lighter.
Repeat layer or layers if you have a deeper pan.
Otherwise use an overflow small pan for the rest.
To the top layer you can add some white sauce(bechamel) and sprinkle with some shredded cheese(or use sliced cheese or a mixture of both) and basil.
At this point you can bake the lasagna at 375 for about 50 some minutes covered.
Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or till heated through.
Or you can cover and place in freezer for a later date.
Just bake frozen lasagna covered first and then remove cover and bake until nice and bubbly.
Remember to give yourself plenty of time as the frozen lasagna will take quite a bit longer to bake.
Let rest for 5- 10 minutes so the filling will not ooze out.

Ingredients:
pepper to taste, meat sauce
2 cups onion diced
5 cloves garlic minced or crushed
1 tbsp oil
1 1/2 package ground turkey (2 lbs)
6 can tomato paste
1 28-oz can whole tomatoes in juice
1 14.5-oz can whole tomatoes in juice
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp red wine
2 bay leaves (up to 3)
1 tsp kosher salt
dried basil to taste