LASAGNA
Serves: 20
Can be vegetarian.
5 lb ground beef
2 big tins stewed tomatoes plus any tomato based sauces that are lurking half-used in the fridge. A little tomato paste helps to intensify the tomato flavor.
Oregano, Sweet Basil, Salt, Pepper, Garlic powder
Vegetables, any or all of: spinach, mushrooms, red/green peppers, eggplant, zucchini, onions (or other vegetables that soften nicely when cooked)
Ricotta or cottage cheese: three medium-sized tubs
grated cheddar cheese and grated parmesan cheese
2 packets of lasagna pasta
First, make a beef/tomato mixture. Mix the ground beef with all the tomato products you can lay your hands on. Mix in the oregano, basil, salt, pepper and garlic in generous quantities (at least 3-4 tablespoons of the herbs and a couple of teaspoons of the other things).
This lasagna recipe is excellent because you don't have to cook anything beforehand. Basically you are going to be layering four different things: the beef/tomato mixture (you can leave out the beef if you want to make vegetarian lasagna), the vegetables, the pasta and the ricotta/cottage cheese. Because nothing is pre-cooked you have to make sure that you always have stuff with liquid in it on either side of the pasta layers so that the pasta gets enough liquid to go al dente and not end up rigid and tough.
SOURCE NOTE: Here's how I usually do it:
In a large and deep oven roasting dish (big enough for a turkey) I put a layer of meat mixture (about half inch thick). Then I spread a thin layer of ricotta/cottage cheese on top of this -- just enough to cover the meat. Then I put a layer of pasta. Then I put a layer of vegetables: generally I put zucchini slices, sliced mushrooms and chopped up peppers in one layer on the pasta and use spinach from a frozen spinach packet to fill in the gaps (spinach need not be completely defrosted). Then I do another meat layer, another ricotta/cottage cheese layer, another pasta layer, another vege layer and end it with another meat layer. Finally I sprinkle grated parmesan and cheddar cheese on top. The whole thing gets baked in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 50 minutes. If you want the top to go brown and crunchy then it helps to put a few little bits of butter on top of the cheese layer. This is a very fool-proof recipe and a great opportunity to use up whatever odds and ends you have in your fridge. The vegetarian version without the meat in the tomato sauce works very well. Serving suggestion: serve with bread and salad.