30 Minute Lasagna

I've decided after experiencing such great food and dessert this weekend that I'm going to try to be even more diverse with my food making skills then ever before. I even narrowed down which type of culinary school I would prefer to go to if I got the chance in the future, French Culinary School. When I say that I mean specifically for the pastries part. Anyway back to what I'm really going to talk about, Lasagna. Ha! Ha! Yeah I know it's Italian. This recipe is pretty darn awesome and so easy to make!  This recipe takes about 30 minutes to make.

You will need:

• 7 lasagna noodles
• 1 table spoon of olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup of tomato sauce
• 1 cup of pasta sauce ( I used leftover sauce that I had)
• 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
•  1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 6 tbsp. parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup basil

First start out by pre-heating your broiler. We started out by putting out on the low setting but ended up on the high. It all depends on what works for you and what your oven is capable. Then fill a pot three inches deep with water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and then add lasagna noodles. Cook until al dente, about 11 minutes, drain and transfer to a cutting board to cut the noodles in half.  

Now heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook til browned. Add the tomato sauce, pasta sauce and red pepper flakes. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add ricotta cheese and simmer on low. Season with salt and remove from the heat. Take mozzarella and parmesan and place in a bowl, set aside. 

Cover bottom of your baking dish with a layer of noodle, meat and then cheese mixture. Repeat this step and the lay left over lasagna noodle on top. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and olive oil. Place in oven for 3 to 5 minutes until golden and bubbling. Top with basil. Enjoy!