In honor of National Lasagna Day...

Lasagna has a rich history, evolving from ancient Greek and Roman dishes to the Italian comfort food we know today. The name "lasagna" is believed to have originated from the Greek "laganon," referring to flat pasta sheets. The Romans adopted this, creating a dish called "lagana," which involved layering dough with meat or vegetables. However, it wasn't until the 16th century, after tomatoes were introduced from the Americas, that tomato sauce became a key ingredient. Variations of lasagna, like Bolognese with béchamel and ragu, and Neapolitan with ricotta and meatballs, emerged in Italy, further developing the dish. Lasagna's popularity spread worldwide, especially after becoming a popular frozen food in the 1950s, introducing many to this Italian classic. 

This is one of the things I truly love about lasagna... there's no "right" way to make it. Everyone has a different recipe; heck, even my recipe doesn't stay the same every time. Sometimes, I sneak in veggies; sometimes, I don't. Sometimes, I put meat in my red sauce; sometimes I don't. Sometimes, I use noodles; sometimes, I don't. The one thing that always stays the same is, I do NOT pre-cook my noodles. Hence the name... 3-Hour Lasagna.

Print Recipe

3-Hour Lasagna

Ingredients:

• Zucchini (sliced thinly & lengthwise into noodles)

• 15 Lasagna Noodles

• 2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese (for layers)

For Red Sauce

• 1# Hamburger

• 28oz can Crushed Tomatoes

• 14.5oz can Diced Tomatoes

• 100z can Rotel

• Spices to taste (something Italian themed with lots of garlic)

For White Sauce

• 32oz Ricotta Cheese

• 16oz Cottage Cheese

• 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

• Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1. Slice zucchini thinly (using a mandolin) into strips like noodles

2. Salt zucchini slices to draw out water

3. Let zucchini slices sit for 20 minutes

4. Wipe away excess moisture from zucchini

5. In a large saucepan, brown hamburger

6. Once hamburger is browned, add tomato products and spices

7. Simmer while making white sauce

8. In a separate bowl, combine Ricotta, Cottage and 1 Cup of Mozzarella Cheese

9. Stir to combine

10. Add Salt and Pepper to taste

11. Layer Lasagna in a 9x13 pan

    1. Red Sauce

    2. Lasagna Noodles

    3. Zucchini

    4. Red Sauce

    5. White Sauce

    6. Shredded Cheese

    7. Lasagna Noodles

    8. Zucchini

    9. Red Sauce

    10. White Sauce

    11. Shredded Cheese

    12. Lasagna Noodles

    13. White Sauce (notice these are reversed on the top layer)

    14. Red Sauce (notice these are reversed on the top layer

    15. Shredded Cheese

12. Let Lasagna rest for 1 hour

13. Cover in foil and bake in a 425 degree oven for 1 hour

14. Remove from oven, remove foil and let rest for another hour

15. Serve with a side salad and garlic bread

16. Enjoy!

Making 3-Hour Lasagna