Lasagna for Two
Yum
Tom and I never go out on Valentine’s Day. Everything is so crowded so I make something special at home. Last year we had steak but this year I wanted something else. My son and his wife are in Italy right now for their wedding anniversary as well as Valentine’s day…seriously, how romantic is that?! They have sent me some amazing photos of landscapes, architecture and food and I got very inspired to make something Italian! Here’s a gorgeous shot they took in Como.
I might not be able to eat in Italy this Valentine’s Day, maybe next year, 🙂 but we will eat like we are! If you haven’t read our love story head over here to check it out. I bet it’s not like most you’ve read! Now onto the lasagna!
This is super easy to put together and even though I don’t usually use no-boil lasagna noodles, I did in this dish and it really turned out great! Just go through the list of ingredients and get everything prepared ahead and the recipe will come together much easier. I used my food processor to chop the vegetables and shred the cheese.
mise en place
Next, you’ll heat the oil until it shimmers and saute the onion for 5 minutes before adding the garlic, cook for another minute or until the garlic is fragrant. Toss in the ground meat and brown it until no longer pink. Stir in the cream and keep cooking until the liquid is evaporated. Stir in the tomatoes, reserved juice and tomato sauce and simmer for a couple of minutes. Taste it and add salt and pepper, I added an 1/8 tsp of each. In a separate bowl combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, egg, basil and 1/8 tsp of both salt and pepper.
Spread 1/2 cup sauce over bottom of loaf pan that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Lay 1 noodle in pan, spread one-third of ricotta mixture over noodle, sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella, and top with 1/2 cup sauce; repeat layering 2 more times. Lay remaining noodle in pan and top with remaining sauce, remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella, and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. I had quite a bit of sauce left-over at the end to pour on top and you might too. Don’t be worried, just pour it all on and it will be perfect! I also wanted a bit more mozzarella on top so I sprinkled a little more on top, I like it ooey and gooey!
Wrap it all up in aluminum foil and bake it at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake it for 10 more minutes or until the cheese starts to get brown in spots. Let it stand for 20 minutes before diving in. That’s the hard part but you can do it! 🙂 Set the table, light the candles, pretend you are in Italy! Buon Appetito!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped fine
- Salt and pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 ounces meatloaf mix
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained with 1/4 cup juice reserved
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, plus 2 tablespoons, grated
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 4 no-boil lasagna noodles
- 4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in meatloaf mix and cook, breaking up meat, until no longer pink.
- Stir in cream, bring to a simmer and cook until liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and reserved juice and tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook about 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.
- Combine ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper in bowl.
- Spread 1/2 cup sauce over bottom of loaf pan. Lay 1 noodle in pan, spread one-third of ricotta mixture over noodle, sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella, and top with 1/2 cup sauce; repeat layering 2 more times. Lay remaining noodle in pan and top with remaining sauce, remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella, and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
- Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with vegetable oil spray. Bake until sauce bubbles lightly around edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until hot throughout and cheese is browned in spots, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chopped basil if desired.
Mitchell
July 11, 2017
Can this be prepared ahead of time so all I need to do is take it out of the fridge and bake it in the oven? If so, how far ahead of time can I prepare it?
Christine
July 11, 2017
Hi Mitchell! Yes, you can make this lasagna a day ahead and then take it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before baking if you have the time. If you don’t have the time to let it come to room temperature then you may need to add a few more minutes of baking time to heat through but if it’s bubbling it’s probably fine. Thanks for stopping by!
RossC
July 6, 2017
Excellent…
We have had to rely upon the kindness others to get our Lasagna fix… Standard recipes are just too much for us…
Cant wait to try this… :O)
Christine
July 6, 2017
Hi Ross!
So glad you’re here looking around. This recipe is one of my favorite recipes for two on here. I hope you like it!
Gaby
November 19, 2015
Not sure what meatloaf mix is… hmmm
Christine
November 19, 2015
Hi Gaby,
Any ground meat can be used to make meatloaf: beef, pork, veal, or lamb. You can use just one kind of meat, or you can mix a few different kinds together. I used half ground pork and half ground beef for this recipe. Thanks so much for stopping by!
-Christine
Gaby
November 19, 2015
OH! So 8 ounces of meatloaf mix means 8 ounces of ground beef?
Christine
November 19, 2015
Yes! 🙂
Leo
April 11, 2023
No, 1/2 lb meatloaf mix means 1/2 lb meatloaf mix. The classic meatloaf mix is ground beef, ground pork and ground veal. Most meat sections in grocery stores sell it clearly labeled ” meatloaf mix”. Our host is here is being polite and also letting you know you might not like ground veal so you can leave that out and just buy ground pork and ground beef.
Liz
March 16, 2015
Thanks for the recipe! We don’t make lasagna too much because we cook for two as well, and most recipes require a big tray! It’s nice to have a recipe for a smaller version.
Liz recently posted…Why Cook with Cast Iron
Christine
March 16, 2015
Hi Liz! We love lasagna but felt like you, there was no way I was making a large pan of it. I like it, but not everyday for a week! hehe Thanks so much for stopping by!
Mary
February 14, 2015
Wow cooked this today and it was a BIG HIT. Never have I had Lasagna that tasted anywhere near that delicious!! My 6 yr old great grandson was the first to taste it and he said Wow that is so good! Thank you Grandma!! So cute!!! The rest of the family loved it too. Thanks for the awesome recipe!!
Christine
February 14, 2015
I’m so glad everyone liked it!
Joe Waldroff
February 12, 2015
I will have some!