Other Recipes:

Spaghetti with Meatballs

Simple Lasagna

- by

Bidhan Chatterjee

November 18, 2011.

Lasagne, or the singular lasagna, commonly refers to a culinary dish made with stacked layers of pasta alternated with sauces and ingredients such as meats, vegetables and cheese, and sometimes topped with melted grated cheese.

Prep Time:

20 minutes

Cook Time:

2 hours

Yield:

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1 cup pineapple (cubed or pulped)
• 4 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons palm sugar
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 16 prawns, about 3 inches long
• 2 -3 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
• 1 tablespoon Thai red chili pepper, slivered
• 15 fresh basil leaves

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375º. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, less 2 minutes. Drain and drizzle a bit of olive oil to prevent noodles from sticking together.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil. Cook ground beef until no longer pink, breaking up with a wooden spoon, then drain fat. Return beef to skillet and add garlic and oregano and stir for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, then add marinara and stir until warmed through. 
3. Combine ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and parsley in a large mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. In a large casserole dish, spread a thin layer of meat sauce, a single layer of lasagna noodles, a layer of ricotta mixture, and a  single layer of mozzarella, then repeat layers. Top last layer of noodles with meat sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then increase temperature to 400º and bake uncovered for 18 to 20 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.