LoLsagna

Relatively Healthy Lasagna

I made a lasagna. And a LoLsagna:Lasagna is a new addition to my repetoire. I've always liked the idea of lasagna, but most lasagnas (both commerical and homemade) seem to resemble blocks of cheese with a few noodles interspersed. I like cheese as a compliment to other things, not as the main attraction. The best solution to this problem is, of course, to make your own lasagna. Here's a recipe with some meat and veggies in it- I made this last night, and it's damn tasty. That's a good thing, because given how much of it there is, I'm going to be eating it all week.

And why did I create a LoLsagna? I must have been thinking of LoLcats again. But why would I connect cats with lasagna? Ahh, yes...

(Whoever "owns" Garfield, please don't sue me.)

Relatively Healthy Lasagna

I'll break this recipe down into its individual components:

1 box of lasagna noodles

1 quart of tomato sauce*

Mozzarella cheese for topping

*I'll do a tomato sauce recipe soon

Meat layer:

2 tbsp oil

2 tsp garlic

1/2 onion, chopped

1 lb ground beef

Frozen peas, if you like

Season with basil, parsely,

oregano, white wine, salt

and pepper.

Sautee the garlic in oil till brown, then add the onions and sautee till browned. Add the beef and cook until brown. Pour excess liquid off into the tomato sauce. Throw in some frozen peas and cook until just thawed. Set beef mixture aside.

Cheese and Veggie layer:

1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

1 cup baby carrots, sliced into thin circles

1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained

chopped basil

salt, pepper

Mix the cheese, spinach and carrots in a bowl, add seasonings to taste.

Cook the noodles until just slightly undercooked (I haven't tried the "no-boil" variety of lasagna yet), and rub them with olive oil to prevent sticking. In a 13 x 9 baking dish, spread a layer of sauce on the bottom, then add a layer of noodles, arranging them so the edges overlap slightly. Add a thin layer of sauce and evenly distribute half of the meat mixture in a layer. Top with more sauce and another layer of noodles. Spread all of the cheese and veggie mixture over this layer. Add some more sauce and another layer of noodles and sauce. Repeat with last of meat mix, add last layer of noodles and top with sauce. Cover pan with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Remove foil and top with mozzarella cheese, then bake for another 10 minutes uncovered. Let the lasagna sit for a few minutes before you cut it. Consume with Garfieldesque abandon.