Be a Good Neighbor with Lasagna!
Our neighbors may not live as close as some do in towns and cities, but regardless if I have to ride the SxS to their house because its a FAR walk or not, they are still neighbors and it is always best to treat them well!
One of my awesome neighbors just had a baby, he is cute as a button with enough hair that she has to comb it! I waited until I knew they were home a few days with him, and shot her a text letting her know I'd like to drop something off for them and it would be perfectly okay if she didn't want me to meet the baby yet (you know 2020, the 'rona, flu season...). She told me stop down whenever and that I could meet their new bundle of joy!
This is where being a good neighbor and friend comes into play! I didn't want to take down a little toy, blanket or something they may not need, so I did something I know she probably does not have the energy for right now, I made them dinner! I went with homemade lasagna. I figured this way she could keep it in the refrigerator or even freeze it until they wanted to eat it.
My recipe is easy! Now, I won't lie I typically don't measure anything when making Italian food. I was raised on homemade pasta and sauce and I totally fit this meme!
You'll need:
- 1 box Lasagna noodles
- 1 lb venison (or beef)
- Whole milk ricotta cheese
- Two eggs
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Grated Mozzarella cheese
- Parsley
- Italian seasonings, salt, pepper
- Sauce
I usually start by making my sauce from scratch; I'll share that recipe in another blog! You can use jar sauce too if that's what you like. While my sauce is simmering, I brown the venison and boil the water for the noodles. I usually add some garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to the meat while cooking. Once done, I set aside. After the water boils, toss your noodles in and follow the cooking time on the box. Be careful they don't stick once you pull them from the water. You can add some olive oil to them to help prevent sticking to each other.
Mixing up the Ricotta filling is easy! Just take about half the container of Ricotta (I buy the big one), add two eggs, parsley, Italian seasonings, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Once everything is cooked, you are ready to assemble! Spray your pan with non-stick cooking spray. Put a spoonful of sauce in the bottom, smear around so it covers the base. Put in one layer of noodles, cover the noodles in your Ricotta mix, then meat. I usually put a thin layer of Mozzarella and Parmesan after the venison and lastly add more sauce. Repeat until you've reached the top of your pan. I usually get three full layers! After the last noodle layer I put sauce and cheese on the very top.
If you are eating right away, bake at 350 degrees. 30-35 minutes covered, then 5-10 uncovered. Also, if you let it rest for 5-10 minutes after you remove from the oven it will be much easier to serve.
If you are not eating right away, or if you are being a good neighbor and sharing, cover with foil and include baking instructions. You can store in the refrigerator or freeze for later if you've made too many (if you freeze them, they take a solid 24 hours to thaw in the refrigerator, keep that in mind when you want to eat it)!
When gifting a lasagna to someone keep in mind the size of their family. My neighbor is only feeding herself and her husband, so I went with a small 9" X 9" pan. If you're cooking for four or six, use a bigger pan. The recipe I shared above makes about three 9" X 9" lasagnas.
My neighbor and her husband were excited to have an easy dinner that night (I also included some garlic bread) and I got to meet the newest kid on the block. Sharing a meal is a nice way to make someone's day easier! I hope you all take some time soon to be a good neighbor!
