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How To Make Tasty Lasagna
Who does not like lasagna? I'm sure there are a few people out there who don't, but many people would hold lasagna as one of their favorite meals. As far as baked pasta dishes go, lasagna has got to take the cake.
Many people will take hours to make a pan of lasagna. While some of the best lasagnas might take that long to cook, there is no need to spend more than 45 minutes of prep time to make a really tasty lasagna. Here is the way that I make lasagna that gets rave reviews from just about everyone that has had it.
A Tasty Pan of Lasagna in Process
Preheat the Oven
The first step in making a great lasagna is to start getting the oven ready for baking it (if you are going to eat it right after making it). The oven will need to be heated to 375 degrees. You can start this process while completing the other steps.
Brown Meat and Boil Water
These two steps should take place at the same time to save time. You should thaw out about a pound of ground beef. I usually use chuck that is 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat. This gives a good flavor and seems to brown more evenly than the low-fat been.
While browning the beef, it is important to boil a pan of water, because this will take a few minutes. After the water comes to a boil, the burner should be turned down to medium high and the lasagna noodles will need to cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
After the beef is browned, garlic powder should be added to season it. I like a lot of garlic powder, but others may not, so the amount of garlic can vary based upon personal taste.
Do You Like Lasagna?
Do you like lasagna?
Build the Lasagna
I start with a layer of lasagna noodles. Then I spread spaghetti sauce over the noodles until they are coated. I use Prego brand sauce, but any brand that you like (including homemade) will work.
After spreading the sauce, I then sprinkle some of the beef over the top. I try to break this into three even parts to go on the first three layers of the lasagna. I then sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of the beef and sauce. One thing that I like to add to my lasagna that is relatively unusual is pepperoni. This gives the lasagna a bit of a spicier kick. Finally, I sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top of what I've already got. This is the end of the first layer.
After completing the first layer, I add another two layers in the order noted above. The image above shows me in the process of one of my layers. All that is not present is the mozzarella. This goes on after what is shown in the image.
My last layer only gets noodles, sauce, and mozzarella. You can use beef if you want, but I personally think it looks better with just the mozzarella melted on the top. You also may want to add some additional cheeses to meet your tastes. Some people, for instance, like ricotta. I do not. Hence its absence from my recipe.
Cook the Lasagna
After finishing the recipe above, cover the lasagna with some foil and place into the oven that is already heated to 375. The lasagna should be cooked for 30-35 minutes (until the cheese is melted and starting to turn golden brown). After cooking, cut it up and enjoy. The lasagna can feed around 8-10 people very well.