Lazy lasagna

I love lasagna but hate how it normally takes 3 hours from start to finish (for my traditional style recipe), this isn’t a meal that I can make through the week. This recipe takes 1/3 the time! That’s right, have a lazy lasagna on the table in an hour. It isn’t a very pretty dish, but it’s delicious. It makes 8 serves - enough to feed the family and my DH to have plan overs for 2 days. I don’t call them left overs - they are not left or unused, they are planned! If you are feeding a small army add garlic bread and salad and you can feed 10.

I am all for being time conscious - this is how you get it on the table so fast. While you’re simmering your pasta sauce, cook the pasta. You will need 30 - 35 minutes of baking time OR you can cover it and pop the pasta bake into the fridge and bake as needed. This pasta bake will last up to 24 hours in the fridge. Just remember, if you are going straight from the fridge to the oven - the oven must be cold. Turn the oven on only once the pasta bake is in it. A hot oven and cold dish will result in the ceramic dish cracking and a lovely mess to clean up later.

I use tomato soup for this dish, it’s sooooo not traditional but really does taste like lasagna. When Campbell’s Tomato soup are on sale, I buy a whole slab of 12 and put them aside for when I need them. This is a wonderful mid week meal and the kids love it!

Recipe:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
800g beef mince, lean
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks (and leaves) diced and sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)
425g tin crushed tomatoes
425g tin Campbell’s tomato soup
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup water (used to wash out of the two cans)
1/4 cup red lentils
300g tub creamed cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
500g pasta (shells, penne or spirals)
2 cups mozzarella cheese

In a heavy based pan heat the oil.
Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the carrots and celery and fry for another 2 minutes.
Add the mince and garlic. Fry and break apart so there are no large clumps.
Add the tomatoes, soup and the water (use the water to get all the bits out of your cans - don’t waste anything!)
Add the herbs and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil the water and cook your pasta and turn on your oven to 180oC (375oF)
Turn off your pasta sauce after 10 minutes (your pasta will need another 2-3 minutes to cook)
Drain your pasta and pour into a large greased casserole dish or a lasagna tray.
Add the sour cream and cottage cheese to the pasta sauce and stir well.
Pour over the pasta and carefully stir to mix thoroughly.
Top with the cheese and bake in your prepared oven for 30-40 minutes.

Happy cooking!
Elizabeth x